Harper College Creates Wraparound Support Program to Serve 1,000+ Students as Graduation Rates Near Record Highs

Case study examines how long-standing partnership with Chicago-based nonprofit One Million Degrees helped scale student support and improve college completion

PALATINE, Ill., Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Harper College—one of the nation's largest community colleges, serving approximately 26,500 students in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago—released a new case study today highlighting the results of a campus-wide partnership designed to remove barriers to college access and completion through wraparound support. Inspired by a collaboration with One Million Degrees (OMD), a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides holistic support to community college students, Harper has overhauled its student coaching and advising SOAR+ program to boost graduation rates and expand high-touch support to more than 1,000 students each year.

"Harper's students reflect the emerging majority of college learners today: working adults, many of whom attend part-time, balance family responsibilities, and are the first in their families to pursue a degree—and for too many, a single missed paycheck or unexpected emergency can quickly derail academic momentum," said Dr. Ruth Williams, provost of Harper College. "For years, we have expanded our investments in essential campus supports, and this partnership helps ensure more students are connected to them early and often. By strengthening access to advising, emergency aid, and other key services, we're providing students with the support they need to achieve their full educational and career potential."

About half of Harper students identify as Hispanic, Asian American, or African American. Thirteen percent receive Pell Grants, and nearly 70 percent attend part-time. Most Harper students plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete their degrees. As part of its broader efforts to bolster persistence and on-time graduation, Harper College expanded its student support program at a time when shifting demographics, rising suburban poverty, and stretched advising capacity were placing increasing pressure on students, many of whom were just one unexpected setback away from stopping out.

To meet this need, the college's academic advising and support team partnered with local student support nonprofit One Million Degrees, whose model has a proven track record of improving student success and retention through more than two decades of rigorous implementation with the City Colleges of Chicago community college system. OMD's approach combines proactive case management, career coaching, financial assistance, and peer support to help students navigate college and persist through completion.

While Harper had invested in a range of support services, leaders recognized that students often lacked clear pathways to access them, and that advisors lacked the capacity to provide sustained, proactive guidance. To help close that gap, Harper leaders embedded the model directly into the college's advising structure; reducing caseloads, introducing cohort-based support, and pairing one-on-one coaching with financial stipends and professional development.

At Harper, OMD-trained advisors worked in tandem with the college's existing advising structure, with direct access to systems and the ability to collaborate closely with Harper staff. This approach helped students connect to resources more quickly and ensured that challenges like missed classes, financial strain, or academic setbacks were addressed before they disrupted progress.

The results have been significant. Over the past decade, Harper's overall graduation rate increased from 13% to 47%, and the OMD-supported program scaled from an initial cohort of 40 students to serving more than 200 students annually. Today, learnings from the OMD model have shaped a new college-wide First Year Experience model that will serve more than 1,000 students per year - supported by a $2M commitment from the college.

"Community college students are some of the most driven learners in higher education, but too often they're asked to do it all without support that reflects what their lives actually look like," said Dr. Aarti Dhupelia, CEO of One Million Degrees. "Harper's work is showing what's possible when a holistic, evidence-based approach becomes a foundational part of the day-to-day student experience. This homegrown case study is a powerful real-world example of a model with the potential to reach many more students across Chicagoland and the state."

Harper's experience builds on OMD's growing footprint across Illinois. In April 2025, OMD was tapped for a statewide partnership with the University of Illinois System, accelerating regional growth and opening new pathways to scale impact. Backed by research support from the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab and partnerships with organizations such as Complete College America, OMD continues to expand through public-private collaborations designed to improve completion, transfer, and economic mobility outcomes for community college students statewide.

About Harper College: Harper College, located in Palatine, Illinois, serves approximately 27,000 credit and non-credit students annually and is dedicated to providing affordable, accessible, and high-quality education. Harper offers a wide range of degree, certificate, and workforce programs to meet the needs of students and the community.

About One Million Degrees: One Million Degrees (OMD) is a Chicago-based higher education nonprofit dedicated to accelerating community college students' progress on pathways to economic mobility. Through a research-proven model combining intensive coaching, career readiness, and financial support, OMD has helped thousands of students persist, graduate, and launch their careers with a foundation for long-term success.

Currently, OMD serves over 2,000 scholars in all 7 of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach over 3,000 community college scholars through our unique partnership with CCC. In addition to direct services, OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through internships and apprenticeships, and supports institutions nationwide to design and implement models of holistic student support.

Learn more at www.onemilliondegrees.org.

SOURCE One Million Degrees & Harper College