This paper estimates the sensitivity of students' college application decisions to a small change in the cost of sending standardized test scores to colleges. Using confidential ACT micro data, I find that when the ACT increased from three to four the number of free score reports that ACT-takers...

This paper examines the impact of racial and low-income quotas on academic performance considering all public and private universities in Brazil. Using data from the National Examination of Student Performance (ENADE) conducted in 2012, the results indicate that there is no statistically...

States are increasingly concerned about higher education spending and determining whether they are getting their “money’s worth” from financial aid programs. Researchers have documented correlations between financial aid and college persistence (St. John 1991), finding that grants increase...

This study evaluates the impact of a national level subsidized loan program, ACCES, on a number of higher education outcomes (i.e., increase in enrollment rates, decrease in dropout rates, and increase in academic performance) of low-income students in Colombia. We use national level data along...

Low income high school graduates are less likely to enroll in four-year colleges than their more advantaged peers. When they do enroll, they are more likely to choose colleges with low graduation rates and higher costs, increasing their risk of leaving college without a degree and with...

During the 1990s, U.S. welfare policy underwent dramatic reforms aimed at promoting employment and reducing dependence. Although the immediate effects on adult labor supply and family income have been studied extensively, this paper is the first to evaluate the long-run effects on children’s...