ERIC Number: ED609410
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 1
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. Study Highlights. NCEE 2021-001
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 for a program 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 conducted pilots of two experimental expansions to Pell Grant eligibility between 2012 and 2017. Experiment 1 allowed income-eligible students with a bachelor's degree to obtain Pell Grants for short-term occupational training programs lasting up to one year. Experiment 2 allowed income-eligible students to obtain Pell Grants for very short-term programs lasting as little as eight weeks. The study examined whether these pilots increased enrollment in and completion of occupational training programs, a first step toward improving individuals' success in the labor market. These effects were determined by comparing what happened to about 2,700 eligible students who were randomly assigned either to be offered or not offered experimental Pell Grant funds in their financial aid award packages. [For the full report, see ED609406. For the appendix, see ED609409.]
Descriptors: Grants, Federal Aid, 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 - Descriptive
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