Helping Community College Students Succeed at Math with Corequisite Support: A Cost Analysis in Kentucky
Many community college students arrive underprepared for college-level math, and traditional prerequisite models—where students must first complete noncredit remedial coursework—have proven largely ineffective. In response, corequisite models that allow students to enroll directly in college-level math with simultaneous academic support have gained traction nationwide.
As of 2023, more than three-quarters of U.S. community colleges have adopted some version of this approach. While evidence increasingly supports its effectiveness relative to prerequisite models, less is known about its costs and cost-effectiveness when implemented at scale.
AIR's Evaluation in Kentucky
AIR is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the corequisite model implemented by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and a cost analysis is a part of the effort. Leveraging comprehensive administrative, human resources, and financial data across all 16 colleges, AIR estimated both direct and indirect instructional costs and compared them with the costs of traditional prerequisite models.
The study found that, while the overall costs for the provision of developmental and college-level math courses are similar between the models, the corequisite model is 50% more cost-effective in getting academically underprepared students to complete introductory college math. These findings offer actionable insights for state systems and institutions considering large-scale reforms, highlighting corequisite models as a promising investment in both student success and operational efficiency.
