This report examines Advise TN, Tennessee’s statewide college advising initiative, and explores new causal evidence showing that professional advising significantly increases postsecondary enrollment. More importantly, the research moves beyond asking whether advising works to identify why it works, highlighting the program design features that enable Advise TN to successfully operate at scale across Tennessee.
Key Findings
- Advise TN increased postsecondary enrollment by 4 percentage points.
- Hispanic and rural students experienced the largest enrollment gains.
- Students who met more often with Advise TN’s professional, full-time advisors and who met with advisors both in-person and virtually experienced higher college-going rates.
- State-level coordination and robust data systems enabled the program to scale effectively.
As Tennessee continues working to increase postsecondary attainment and connect more students to economic opportunity, these findings provide valuable lessons for policymakers, education leaders, and practitioners seeking to expand college access while ensuring students receive the support they need to successfully pursue opportunity beyond high school.