No-Cost/Low-Cost and OER Impact on Time-to-Credential: An Event History Modeling Study

The study explores the efficacy of no-cost/low-cost (NCLC) programs on student credential completion and persistence. The study looked at student-level data between the fall 2014 and 2021 academic year at a community college in the West. A retrospective cohort design with multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis was used to investigate the influence of attempted NCLC on student completion. Findings indicate that students, across all demographic categories, who attempt NCLC credits increase their likelihood of graduation with a significant impact for older students. Our findings also indicate that student NCLC credits do not decrease time-to-completion compared to students who do not participate in NCLC credits. Students who participated in NCLC programs, however, graduated at a higher rate than those who did not participate. In this article, we provide recommendations for policy, practice, and research on the use of NCLC and its impact on student outcomes.