The United States has widely experimented with merit-based financial aid to make college more accessible and affordable for its youth. Varying in design and benefits, these state-run programs subsidize college costs for academically meritorious high-school graduates. While broadly linked to higher college attendance the distribution of aid…

This dissertation investigates the impact of information and policy on the efficiency of higher education financing, particularly for low-income students in Latin America. Through three empirical studies, it addresses the barriers posed by information asymmetries and institutional discretion in student loan and college admission processes and…

To address concerns about the public postsecondary education offerings available to District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-98) established the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. The program is meant to provide college-bound DC residents with a greater array of…

Local-level, place-based scholarships -- synonymous with "promise" scholarships -- are a policy strategy to improve college completion in the United States by directing financial aid to students in a particular school, district, or geographical area. There are currently upwards of 90 place-based scholarship programs across the US, most…

We examine the impacts of being awarded a Cal Grant, among the most generous state merit aid programs. We exploit variation in eligibility rules using GPA and family income cutoffs that are ex ante unknown to applicants. Cal Grant eligibility increases degree completion by 2 to 5 percentage points in our reduced form estimates. Cal Grant also…

The cost of attending college has risen steadily over the past 30 years, making financial aid an important determinant of college choice for many students and a subject of concern for colleges and state governments. In this paper, we estimate the effect of rule-based merit aid assignment on students' enrollment decisions at the University of Iowa.…

This dissertation consists of three chapters examining issues relevant to current higher education policy debates. In the first chapter, I use surveys, in-depth interviews, and administrative records from a sample of Wisconsin Pell Grant recipients who chose among Wisconsin public colleges and universities to explore whether students' initial…

Any reform of federal student aid must address the twin challenges of college affordability and completion, which are inextricably linked. Here, CLASP has proposed ways to redirect existing federal student aid spending toward the low- and modest income families who need it most. These are the students for whom federal aid makes a difference in…

Every student, who meets some basic eligibility requirements, can get some type of financial aid regardless of age or family income. Federal student aid is a financial aid from the federal government to help a student pay for education expenses at an eligible college, technical school, vocational school, or graduate school. There are three…

This guide is designed to help college-bound student-athletes and their families understand the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules for progressing from being a high school athlete to a student-athlete in college. Students are encouraged to work closely with high school counselors, recruiters and college admissions officers to…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) commissioned this paper to help policy leaders and decision makers understand the impact of selected state financial aid programs on students' choices--choices of which college to attend, where to attend college, and even whether to attend college at all. As the paper shows, states…

This guide for students, who are considering graduate school, offers specific guidelines organized in the form of 10 "steps". The introductory chapter identifies three goals in graduate study: to qualify professionally, to improve career posture, and to provide the satisfaction that higher learning offers. A chapter is given, devoted to each of…

This guide for students considering attending a college or career school uses a question-and-answer format to provide practical information on student financial aid available from the federal government. Questions and answers are organized into the following categories: choosing a school; paying tuition and other costs how the Department of…

This guide, in Spanish, is for students seeking financial aid for attending a college or career school. The guide uses a question-and-answer format to provide practical information on student financial aid available from the federal government. Questions and answers are organized into the following categories: choosing a school; paying tuition and…

This directory contains profiles of approximately 1,900 four-year accredited baccalaureate-degree-granting institutions in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada. Introductory information covers the following topics: "What You Need to Know About College Admissions,""Understanding Financial Aid,""Taking Standardized Tests,""The Freshman…