told the kids if they earned a B average, he would pay for their college. To help them achieve that benchmark, he created a college preparatory program at their high school. He brought in a naval commander to lead a summer program that was part boot-camp, part academic training.

Nearly all of those 183 kids graduated from high school, Phyllis Taylor testified in September, and many went on to graduate college.

Louisiana soon expanded the program. Because Taylor had envisioned it as a scholarship for poor kids, lawmakers initially limited it to children from families who earned $25,000 a year or less.

Then, nearly a decade later, Louisiana removed the income cap. Any student, theoretically, could earn a free ride.

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After 60 Minutes broadcast a special documenting Taylor’s success, other states rushedcollege.

The program succeeded with those students, researchers found, because the promise of free college was made more manifest. The Pell Grant was always there for the taking, but students didn’t know how to access it. The volunteer mentors helped them navigate the path.

Lawmakers also might learn lessons from the City University of New York, where the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs led to “massive graduation improvements,” Scott-Clayton said. Within three years, the school nearly doubled its graduation rate from 22 to 40 percent.

The program covers tuition, but it also offers students a book voucher and a Metro card. It also offers extensive wraparound services that few other states do. Students in CUNY’s program attend 34 tutoring sessions and meet with advisers 38 times a year. Counselors help students