Historically Black colleges and universities have undertaken a major student support effort to improve completion rates and address longstanding barriers to degree attainment. A report from InsideTrack, a student success coaching nonprofit, evaluated outcomes from a coaching initiative spanning fall 2021 through spring 2026 across 39 HBCU campuses that served nearly 44,000 students.
The results demonstrated significant improvements in both student retention and re-enrollment. Among students who had previously stopped out, those receiving coaching re-enrolled at a rate of 6.9 percent, exceeding the national average by a factor of 2.5, with more than 1,300 students returning to their institutions. For actively enrolled students, those participating in coaching sessions showed a retention rate of 90.4 percent from fall to spring, compared to 82.4 percent for non-participants. Among a subset of public HBCUs, Black male students who engaged with coaches re-enrolled at rates 10.8 percentage points higher than their counterparts without coaching support.
InsideTrack officials identified two primary challenges facing HBCU students: financial constraints and feelings of isolation or lack of belonging. Many students juggle educational pursuits with family financial contributions and work obligations, while others experience homesickness and cultural adjustment issues despite attending institutions designed to serve Black students. The coaching model emphasized personalized outreach addressing these barriers through one-on-one sessions focused on goal clarification, financial navigation, and academic support.
The initiative targeted populations often underserved by traditional retention programs, including adult learners representing nearly 40 percent of coached students and Black male students comprising roughly one-third of participants. Program staff included seven partnership directors and 28 trained success coaches, nearly all HBCU alumni, supported by funders including Blue Meridian Partners, UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and Ed Advancement.
Outcomes included over 2,300 graduates verified through the National Student Clearinghouse and an estimated $26.9 million in recovered and retained tuition revenue. Program leaders emphasized the importance of building sustainable institutional support systems that extend beyond the initial coaching intervention, noting that HBCUs, though representing only 3 percent of national colleges and universities, produce nearly 20 percent of all Black graduates.
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