In 2013, the Boston Fed began promoting a widespread commitment to increasing the financial stability of community college students by building their financial capabilities.

The work with community colleges produced valuable learning and multiple resources including:

• Community college convenings that engaged institutions from Massachusetts and New England in discussions of their students’ needs and options for addressing these needs.
• Evaluation of a pilot initiative, "Invest in College Success," implemented at three community colleges in Massachusetts.
• A Handbook  for community colleges, consisting of a justification for building students’ financial capabilities, descriptive case studies on community college efforts from around the country, a qualitative study on financial decision-making of community college students, and a snapshot of efforts across the region’s community colleges according to survey data.