“The Help I Was Told I Never Would Receive”: Student Experiences with the Detroit Promise Path Program

The Detroit Promise Path program combines a tuition guarantee with additional support services to help students stay in college. Using qualitative data, we explore the student experiences with the program, as well as barriers that students faced in completing college. We use geocoding software to calculate students’ drive times to their college. We find students benefit from proactive outreach messaging, success coaching, and financial incentives to participate in the program—yet they still face significant nonacademic barriers including transportation and non-tuition expenses that make it difficult for them to persist and earn their degree.