College Promise programs are a form of financial aid that cover tuition and fees for students to attend college. But Promise programs that cover only tuition and fees may be falling short of their potential to expand college opportunity, according to research by Amy Y. Li of Florida International University and Meredith S. Billings of The University of Texas at Arlington.

The study examining seven community college programs through the eyes of practitioners who work directly with students found that 87.5% of interviewed staff identified basic needs insecurity—particularly housing, food and transportation—as students’ most pressing financial challenges, even when educational costs were covered. The findings also revealed practitioners counseled students to avoid student loans, identified a need for greater financial literacy, and recognized the varying stability and generosity of revenue sources for Promise programs.

The research recommends that Promise programs consider shifting from last-dollar to first-dollar funding models so low-income students can use federal aid for living expenses, and that policymakers invest in addressing basic needs like housing, food, and transportation beyond tuition coverage. Practitioners should also provide more nuanced financial counseling that helps students understand when moderate borrowing might enable full-time enrollment and degree completion, rather than universally discouraging all loans.