Does Encouraging Summer Community College Enrollment Improve Students' Transition to College?

Carrell et al. (2026) examined whether a simple information nudge encouraging recent high school graduates to enroll in summer community college courses increases summer enrollment. They analyzed data from a randomized field experiment involving 8,222 California high school seniors who had applied for financial aid and planned to attend college, linking survey responses with administrative college enrollment records. They found that students who received the informational message were 1.2 percentage points more likely to enroll in summer community college courses, a 17 percent increase over the control group. Treated students also attempted 20 percent more units and earned 27 percent more summer units.

Why This Article Was Selected for The Policy Scientist

The transition from high school to college remains one of the most consequential stages in the educational pipeline because relatively small barriers can alter long-term enrollment and degree completion. As policymakers seek cost-effective strategies to improve postsecondary attainment, evidence on scalable interventions has become increasingly valuable. Carrell, Kurlaender, Martorell, and Sun have contributed extensively to research on education policy and student success, making this study a logical extension of their broader body of work. It also builds modestly on influential research examining summer melt and academic momentum while focusing on an understudied intervention. The article appears in AEA Papers and Proceedings, a respected publication of the American Economic Association that highlights important emerging research. The randomized controlled trial represents a particularly strong methodological design and provides credible causal evidence. The linked survey and administrative data are high quality, although the relatively low survey response rate warrants consideration when interpreting external validity. Because many jurisdictions operate community college systems and face similar challenges during students' transition to college, the findings are likely to have relevance beyond California, although institutional differences may influence the magnitude of the effects.

Full Citation and Link to Article

Carrell, S. E., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, P., & Sun, C. (2026). School’s in for summer? The effect of encouraging summer community college enrollment. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 116, 362–366. https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.20261101

Central Research Question

This study examines whether a simple informational intervention can increase summer community college enrollment among recent high school graduates. Specifically, the authors ask whether providing students with concise information about the benefits of summer enrollment, the availability of transferable credits, the flexibility of course offerings, and the potential for free tuition encourages more students to enroll in community college courses immediately after high school graduation. The broader question is whether a low-cost, easily scalable communication strategy can strengthen students' transition into higher education by increasing early academic engagement. Rather than evaluating a comprehensive advising program or a financial incentive, the study isolates the effect of a brief informational message delivered at a strategically important point in students' decision-making process.

Previous Literature

The study builds upon two complementary strands of higher education research. The first examines the phenomenon of "summer melt," in which students who intend to enroll in college ultimately fail to do so after graduating from high school. Prior research has demonstrated that many academically qualified students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds, encounter administrative, informational, or motivational barriers during the summer months that prevent successful college enrollment.

The second body of literature focuses on academic momentum. Previous studies have found that maintaining continuous enrollment and completing coursework early in a student's college career improves persistence and increases the likelihood of degree completion. Summer enrollment may contribute to this process by allowing students to complete developmental or introductory coursework before the traditional fall semester while simultaneously becoming familiar with college registration systems, financial aid procedures, and institutional expectations.

Although previous research has identified the potential value of summer enrollment, relatively little causal evidence has examined interventions specifically designed to increase participation in summer community college coursework among graduating high school seniors. This study addresses that gap by testing whether a simple informational nudge can alter actual enrollment behavior rather than merely influencing students' intentions. As a result, the article extends existing knowledge regarding both academic momentum and the transition from secondary to postsecondary education.

Data

The analysis combines survey responses with administrative records from multiple statewide data sources in California. The study population consists of high school seniors who completed either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application for the 2023–2024 academic year and indicated through a survey that they planned to enroll in college following graduation.

The final analytic sample includes approximately 8,222 students who participated in the randomized experiment. Survey data provide demographic information, including race, gender, parental education, household language, and intended postsecondary plans. These records are merged with administrative information from the California Student Aid Commission, including measures of family income and expected family contribution, as well as enrollment records maintained by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

The administrative data measure whether students enrolled in community college during the summer immediately following high school graduation, the number of units attempted, the number of units successfully completed, and academic performance during the summer term. The combination of survey information with official enrollment records substantially strengthens the analysis because the primary outcomes rely on verified administrative data rather than self-reported student behavior.

Although the survey response rate is relatively low at approximately four percent of eligible financial aid applicants, the authors report that respondents closely resemble the broader population of FAFSA applicants across several important characteristics. Consequently, while some caution regarding external validity is appropriate, the administrative outcome measures provide highly reliable evidence regarding actual enrollment decisions.

Methods

The study employs a randomized controlled trial, one of the strongest available research designs for estimating causal effects. Students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group, ensuring that the two groups were statistically comparable prior to the intervention.

Students assigned to the treatment group received a brief informational message emphasizing several potential benefits of enrolling in community college courses during the summer. The message highlighted the availability of online and in-person classes, the transferability of community college credits to University of California and California State University campuses, and the possibility of receiving free tuition. Students then reported their revised likelihood of taking summer courses after reading the information. Students assigned to the control group did not receive the informational message.

Because treatment assignment occurred randomly, subsequent differences in enrollment outcomes can reasonably be attributed to the intervention rather than to preexisting differences between students. The authors estimate treatment effects by comparing average outcomes across the treatment and control groups. They also estimate regression models incorporating demographic and academic control variables to confirm the robustness of the results. These adjusted estimates produce findings that are nearly identical to the primary analyses, increasing confidence in the stability of the results.

The study also explores treatment heterogeneity by examining whether the intervention produced different effects across demographic groups, intended college sector, first-generation status, and students' initial intentions regarding summer enrollment. Although statistical power limits definitive subgroup conclusions, these analyses provide useful descriptive evidence regarding potential differences in responsiveness.

Findings/Size Effects

The informational intervention produced statistically significant improvements in both students' stated intentions and their subsequent enrollment behavior.

Immediately after receiving the informational message, students became substantially more likely to indicate that they intended to enroll in summer community college coursework. The proportion expressing an intention to enroll increased from approximately 19.8 percent before receiving the information to 37.4 percent afterward, indicating that students understood and responded to the intervention.

More importantly, the administrative enrollment records demonstrate that the intervention influenced actual behavior rather than simply changing survey responses. Students who received the informational message were 1.2 percentage points more likely to enroll in summer community college courses than students assigned to the control group. Although the absolute increase appears modest, it represents nearly a 17 percent improvement relative to the control group's enrollment rate.

The intervention also increased academic participation among enrolled students. Treated students attempted approximately 0.055 additional course units and completed approximately 0.062 additional units during the summer. Relative to the control group, these increases represent roughly a 20 percent increase in attempted units and approximately a 27 percent increase in completed units.

The authors did not find statistically significant differences in summer grade point average, suggesting that encouraging additional enrollment did not reduce academic performance among participating students. Students appeared capable of successfully completing the additional coursework generated by the intervention.

Subgroup analyses suggest that treatment effects may vary across demographic groups and according to students' initial intentions regarding summer enrollment. The intervention appears particularly effective among students who were already somewhat receptive to taking summer classes. However, because the study was not designed primarily to detect subgroup differences, these findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Overall, the evidence demonstrates that a simple, inexpensive informational intervention can measurably influence students' postsecondary decisions during a critical transition period.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that information alone can meaningfully influence postsecondary enrollment decisions when delivered at an appropriate moment. A brief, low-cost message highlighting practical aspects of summer community college enrollment increased both enrollment rates and the number of academic units students completed during the summer following high school graduation.

The study contributes important causal evidence to a policy area that has historically relied more heavily on observational research. By using a randomized controlled trial linked with high-quality administrative records, the authors establish that informational barriers represent one factor contributing to lower rates of summer enrollment. Their findings suggest that relatively inexpensive interventions can strengthen students' transition into higher education without requiring substantial new financial investments or intensive advising programs.

At the same time, the modest absolute effect sizes indicate that information is only one component of a much broader set of factors influencing college enrollment decisions. Administrative complexity, financial constraints, family circumstances, employment obligations, and institutional differences likely continue to shape students' educational choices. Nevertheless, because the intervention is inexpensive, scalable, and supported by credible causal evidence, it represents a practical strategy that colleges, school districts, and state agencies may consider incorporating into broader efforts designed to improve postsecondary persistence and academic momentum.