Scottsdale Community College credits 24% retention rate increase to program for new students

PHOENIX — One Maricopa County community college is crediting a program for new students with a significant increase in its retention rate.

Scottsdale Community College (SCC) said its first-year experience (FYE) program, launched in 2022, has led to 24% more students continuing their enrollment, compared to students who do not complete the program.

FYE is required for all new SCC students and allows them to attend tutoring, advising and other academic and student support sessions for college credits.

SCC added that the program has made new students feel more welcome on campus and helped them plan for their future, leading to more students continuing their education, which is essential to the program’s goal, according to Andrea Scherrer, an SCC counselor who leads one of the FYE courses.

“Really, one of the core components in both of our classes is that ability to make the connection to their advisor, because that is an extremely important relationship throughout college, but then also understand the self-guided resources available to understand their own education plan,” she said.

How does Scottsdale Community College’s first-year experience program work?

New SCC students can choose between a one- or three-credit course, with academic planning and campus resources broken down by advisors to encourage students to use tools that will support their schooling.

The one-credit course focuses on career exploration, financial literacy, financial education, education planning and success resources.

“Then we also have the three-credit [course], which is an exploration of college, career and personal success,” Scherrer said. “It has those same five core areas, but in addition, we’re able to take a deeper dive into self-care and how that has a positive impact on college students.”

Additionally, the program includes outreach to ensure students are on track with their classes and goals.

This approach creates a group of students who complete the program with a plan and steps to succeed, which SCC said is leading to the increase in students remaining enrolled after their first year.

Scherrer said the goal is always to increase student success, and the program has proven its worth.

“There’s a retention issue in college in general and community colleges in general,” she explained. “So, it’s … being on the right path to meet their goals, knowing who their support team is, who they can go to get questions answered, to create that academic plan, who they can reach out to when they’re struggling.”

Scottsdale Community College had 11,777 students enrolled in the 2024-2025 school year.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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