This dissertation consists of two chapters studying the importance of household income for shaping student outcomes in the market for higher education in the United States. The first chapter uses the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to document that conditional on student ability, high-income students are more likely to enroll in college and…

We use the random assignment of a private Wisconsin need-based grant to estimate the impacts of financial aid on college persistence among Pell Grant recipients at 13 public universities over three years. For equity and efficiency reasons, governments use conditional cash transfers to reduce the relationship between family income and college…

A study that examined the impact of state-funded programs on a potential students' college selection decision and the extent to which other variables influence their decision is discussed. A random sample of recipients of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in New York State was used. (MLW)

The relationship between college costs and family income is examined, along with the debt burden incurred by students while pursuing a postsecondary education. Attention is directed to an analytical model of discretionary income, the families' current income and college costs and how these have changed over the last decade, and general empirical…

The standardized approach (Uniform Methodology) to estimating the expected parental contribution for dependent students is evaluated from an economist's perspective. The UM model is shown to fail to treat assets and income in a consistent manner, and recommendations for improvement are offered. (LBH)

This guide is to help professional personnel who are involved in the distribution of financial aid understand how the parent's and the student's expected contributions are derived. It prepares the financial aid administrator to consider individual adjustments that may be appropriated in the amounts expected from the student and his family in…

At a time when college degrees are increasingly a prerequisite for middle-class wages, less than 40 percent of college students are able to demonstrate proficiency on literacy tests, barely half of college students graduate on time, and many do not graduate at all. At the same time. the price of college continues to increase quickly and…

A model to estimate higher education enrollments and cost effects of financial aid plans is presented. A combination of the freshman demand and transition models allows the prediction of high school graduates who enter colleges, complete sequential levels of education, and complete degree programs. The freshman demand model is adapted from that of…

This report describes the distribution of financial aid to undergraduate students. All sources of funds are included and accounted for on a state-by-state basis. The Federal Office of Education programs are further described by institutional type and student income levels. The distribution of OE programs results in the following conclusions: (1)…