The Promise of Summer: A Case Study of Motivation and Impact Among Low-Income Students

Susan Gershenfeld, Denice Ward Hood, and Min Zhan

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For low-income students, summer enrollment without grant support brings the risk of increased debt, but also an increased likelihood of graduation within four years. This mixed-methods study compares summer enrollment for two groups of low-income students, those receiving Illinois Promise support and those not receiving the support (“nonpromise students”). Illinois Promise is a loan-replacement, last-dollar grant for fall and spring semesters for up to four years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Findings reveal a combination of academic, economic, and social/cultural factors that accounted for summer enrollment. All low-income students who enrolled in at least one summer session were significantly more likely to graduate within four years. Illinois Promise students who enrolled in more than one summer session were significantly more likely to graduate in four years in comparison to Illinois Promise students who enrolled in one or no summer sessions and nonpromise students who enrolled in multiple summer sessions.