Report: What Hinders Community College Retention?
Ashley Mowreader
March 18, 2025
A new paper from the Annenberg Institute evaluates barriers to success for low-income community college students. Researchers found financial and mental health concerns are tied to lower completion rates.
Previous research shows that mental health concerns are the top reason community college students leave their education without completing a credential. While students say mental health supports offered by their institution help them stay enrolled, few students at two-year institutions engage with formal mental health resources offered by the counseling center.
A recent working paper from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University investigates the relationship between student mental well-being, campus engagement and their first-year academic outcomes. Over all, the study found a relationship between students’ engagement with campus resources and early academic outcomes, as well as a link between learners’ financial and mental well-being and academic performance.
