ERIC Number: ED545467
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Oct
Pages: 139
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Moving Forward: Early Findings from the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration in Arizona. The Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration
Patel, Reshma; Valenzuela, Ireri
MDRC
While postsecondary completion rates are a concern among many student populations across the country, college graduation rates for Latino students, especially Latino male students, are even lower than the national average. Low-income Latino men face many barriers to postsecondary success, including both financial and personal obstacles. This report presents findings from a study of performance-based scholarships paired with a robust set of student services designed to help low-income Latino men succeed at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Students who were eligible for the Adelante Performance Award Program could receive up to $4,500 in total over three semesters. Payments were contingent on their meeting academic benchmarks throughout the semester and participating in student support services such as advising, tutoring, and workshops. The program in Arizona is one of six being studied as part of the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration. Each program employs a random assignment research design to test an alternative incentive structure and is intended to serve a different target population. The program at Pima was designed with three main goals in mind: first, to help make college more affordable to low-income students; second, to structure scholarship payments to provide an incentive for good academic progress; and third, to encourage and directly reward participation in student services. The program was funded by a consortium of private foundations and operated from the fall of 2010 through the fall of 2012. This report provides analysis over two semesters of follow-up and suggests that: (1) Program group students participated at high rates in the support services offered; (2) The program led to a net increase in financial aid and allowed some students to reduce their dependence on loans; (3) The program had a small but positive effect on retention; (4) The program increased full-time enrollment in students' second semester; and (5) The program increased the number of credits earned. Some of the main goals of the program and its design have been achieved, at least in the short term. Appended are: (1) Selected Characteristics of Sample Members at Baseline, by Research Group; and (2) Adelante Program Materials. [This report was written with Drew McDermott.]
Descriptors: Scholarships, Demonstration Programs, Low Income Groups, Hispanic American Students, Males, Student Participation, Eligibility, Peer Evaluation, Tutoring, Workshops, School Support, Community Colleges, Program Design, Academic Achievement, Program Effectiveness, Benchmarking
MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: MDRC
Identifiers - Location: Arizona
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Meets Evidence Standards without Reservations
WWC Study Page: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/82729