In this paper we measure the impact of need-based grants on university dropout rates in the first year, using student-level data from all Italian universities in the period 2003-2013. In Italy, some of the students eligible for grants do not receive them due to a lack of funds. We exploit this...

We estimate the effects of a large programme of public investment subsidies granted to Italian firms in disadvantaged areas. Projects were given numerical scores according to objective criteria and local politicians' preferences, and funded in rank order until the funds were fully allocated. We...

This paper exploits student-level administrative data on the population of Italian university students, from 2006 to 2014, to analyse the effects of high performing (HP) male or female peers on individual academic performance, according to the gender of the student. The identification strategy...