ERIC Number: ED609406
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of Expanding Pell Grant Eligibility for Short Occupational Training Programs: Results from the Experimental Sites Initiative. Evaluation Report. NCEE 2021-001
Thomas, Jaime; Gonzalez, Naihobe; Paxton, Nora; Wiegand, Andrew; Hebbar, Leela
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
Pell Grants are the cornerstone of federal financial aid for low-income students enrolled in postsecondary education. Currently, these grants are available only to those who seek an initial undergraduate degree or credential lasting at least a typical semester. Because these rules may restrict access to programs providing skills needed for new or better jobs, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) began pilots of two experimental expansions to Pell Grant eligibility in 2011. The first experiment allowed income-eligible students with a bachelor's degree to obtain Pell Grants for short-term occupational training programs. The second experiment allowed income-eligible students to obtain Pell Grants for very short-term programs lasting as little as eight weeks. This report presents the results from a rigorous evaluation of the experiments conducted by ED's Institute of Education Sciences. The evaluation examined whether these pilot eligibility expansions increased enrollment in and completion of occupational training programs, a first step toward improving individuals' success in the labor market. [For the appendix, see ED609409. For the study highlights, see ED609410.]
Descriptors: Federal Aid, Grants, Eligibility, Student Financial Aid, Low Income Students, Access to Education, Vocational Education, Job Training, Outcomes of Education, Two Year Colleges, Two Year College Students, Enrollment, Bachelors Degrees
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Available from: ED Pubs. P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Tel: 877-433-7827; Web site: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (ED); Mathematica; Social Policy Research Associates (SPR)
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Pell Grant Program
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: EDIES12C0097
IES Publication: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/2021001/index.asp