Early Commitment Financial Aid Programs: Promises, Practices, and Policies

This paper is intended as a resource for people interested in early commitment programs. It describes existing programs and the various approaches they use. It includes programs mandated by state and federal policies, as well as those sponsored by states and school districts in partnership with private-sector funders. The study identifies practices that appear to work and proposes specific guidelines for state, school district, and other leaders who are interested in starting new early financial aid commitment programs.