Tracking college enrollment rates for precollege program alumni

Many Extension precollege programs seek to increase young people's interest in and aspirations toward collegeby fostering the development of skills that support a successful college transition. By pairing existing data withparticipant enrollment records, Extension professionals can more easily capture the impact of precollegeprograms on college enrollment and degree attainment. This article summarizes the process a group of us atMichigan State University Extension use to track Michigan 4-H precollege program alumni college enrollmentrates, leveraging existing data from the National Student Clearinghouse and the Michigan Department ofEducation. Our method is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to measure and share precollege programimpacts.