In 2022, Ithaka S+R conducted a study on Georgia State University’s Panther Retention Grant program, a type of microgrant or emergency aid initiative designed to support students with immediate financial need. Through our evaluation, we found that receiving a grant reduced time to degree across student types, including for Pell recipients and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups. We also found that it reduced cumulative debt for most student groups, likely because recipients enrolled in fewer terms post-receipt and, as a result, incurred fewer tuition payments.

The need for an emergency aid program like Georgia State’s reflects the reality that the price of college can make it difficult for students, especially those already struggling to meet their basic needs like housing and food, to remain enrolled and ultimately complete their degree when faced with unexpected financial hardships. Our findings demonstrate that innovative approaches to student support, like emergency aid, can drive meaningful improvements in student outcomes.

Other institutions and organizations have implemented similar programs aimed at protecting and supporting students during times of financial instability. One example is the Student Emergency Grant Fund, an initiative of the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, which awards grants to 20 colleges across the City University of New York (CUNY). These funds, operated independently by each campus, disburse modest grants to students. Like Georgia State’s program, the Petrie grants provide immediate financial support to students experiencing unexpected hardships to help them stay enrolled and continue their studies without interruption. Since program inception, the colleges have awarded more than 10,000 grants, typically no more than $3,000 per award.

There are, however, important differences between the two programs. For example, the Student Emergency Grant Fund is intended to cover non-tuition expenses, such as utility bills, rather than tuition balances. Another example is that while Georgia State’s program regularly reviews institutional data to identify eligible students and awards grants without an application, students must apply for a Student Emergency Grant Fund through their institution and provide documentation of need.

In our new project, supported by the Petrie Foundation, we’ll study how much these design differences matter. Through descriptive and inferential analyses, we will assess the program’s impact on short- and long-term enrollment, completion, and time to degree, comparing outcomes for recipients and non-recipients (i.e., those who applied but did not receive a grant). We will also examine how differences in the program’s implementation across CUNY campuses affect outcomes. We will complement our evaluation results with a review of internal program documents and conversations with key staff. We expect to publish our findings later this summer.

College affordability and its effects on degree attainment is a growing concern and bipartisan efforts to understand the effectiveness of emergency grant aid are expanding. Building on this momentum, New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget includes $400,000 to establish a CUNY emergency fund. Paired with results from our study of Georgia State’s program, this project will contribute to the field by strengthening the evidence base on effective practices and key implementation features of emergency grant programs. It will also provide the Petrie Foundation and CUNY with insights to increase program efficacy and impact.

If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to Daniel Rossman (Daniel.Rossman@ithaka.org) and Jonathan Barefield (Jonathan.Barefield@ithaka.org).