Help students cover basic expenses and stay enrolled

Food, rent, transportation, childcare and healthcare costs can make it difficult to stay enrolled. Single Stop helps students find assistance with those expenses so they can continue their coursework.

At Community College of Philadelphia, students who received direct support through Single Stop persisted at an 85% rate, compared with 72% among students who did not. At Pikes Peak State College, 70% of survey respondents credited Single Stop as a reason they could continue their education. These are partner results; they do not establish that every institution will see the same outcome.

Single Stop helps staff coordinate those services. Students can enter through a campus office or an online link, check potential benefit eligibility and receive referrals. Staff can document the assistance provided and follow up on next steps.

Students can complete the screener privately on a phone, tablet or computer and review application guidance. Trained staff can also help with screening, documents, applications and referrals. Colleges can offer both options.

Depending on their circumstances and available programs, students may find education-related assistance as well as support for food, housing, transportation, childcare and healthcare. Single Stop supplements the FAFSA and your institution’s financial-aid process. Qualifying education expenses may also be considered when screening for other benefits.

Link to Single Stop from student portals, orientation materials, course communications and campus support pages. Authorized staff can use role-based access for case management and reporting. During setup, we work with your team to fit Single Stop into existing advising, financial-aid and student-support processes.

Reports can show completed screenings, potential benefits, referrals, case activity, application steps and user-reported outcomes. Where permitted, institutions can combine these records with student data to evaluate persistence, credits completed, graduation and return on investment.

Assign a program owner, train staff and give students repeated opportunities to learn about the service. Nash Community College includes Single Stop in orientation, syllabi, workshops and its Student Wellness Center. Tidewater Community College offers it through its Student Resource and Empowerment Center across multiple campuses.

Yes. RAND’s 2020 evaluation found that use of Single Stop services was associated with at least a three-percentage-point increase in student persistence and more credits attempted. Results were particularly positive for adult learners, independent students and students of color.

A multiyear Metis Associates evaluation at Community College of Philadelphia used matched comparison groups. It found statistically significant improvements in persistence, degree-bearing credits completed and GPA. Persistence differences ranged from 3.3 to 11 percentage points, depending on the group and period. The evaluation was designed to meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with reservations.

A later RAND randomized study across ten colleges could not establish effectiveness because too few students received the intended services: 12.7% completed the screener and 0.9% engaged with a case manager. RAND acknowledged the disruption caused by COVID-19 and concluded that participation was insufficient to assess the efficacy of Single Stop supports. The study highlights the need for staff capacity and sustained student outreach.