Browsing by Author "Evans, Brent J."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    The Effects of Grant Aid on Student Persistence and Degree Attainment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence
    Nguyen, Tuan D.; Kramer, Jenna W.; Evans, Brent J. (Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA), 2018-03-01)
    It is well established that financial aid, in the form of grants, increases the probability of enrollment in postsecondary education. A slate of studies in recent years has extended this research to examine whether grant aid also has an impact on persistence and degree attainment. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the causal evidence of the effect of grant aid on postsecondary persistence and degree attainment. A meta-analysis of 42 studies yielding 73 effect sizes estimates that grant aid increases the probability of student persistence and degree completion between two and three percentage points, and estimates that an additional $1,000 of grant aid improves year-to-year persistence by 1.2 percentage points. Suggestions for future research and implications for policy are discussed.
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    How College Students Use Advanced Placement Credit
    Evans, Brent J. (Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA), 2018-10-01)
    Millions of high school students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which can provide college credit. Using nationally representative data, I identify a diverse set of higher education outcomes that are related to receipt of AP college credit. Institution fixed effects regression reduces bias associated with varying AP credit policies and student sorting across higher education. Results indicate college credits earned in high school are related to reduced time to degree, double majoring, and taking more advanced coursework. Bounding exercises suggest the time to degree and double major outcomes are not likely driven by bias from unobserved student characteristics. Policies used to support earning college credits while in high school appear to enhance undergraduate education and may accelerate time to degree.
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    The Role of Intergovernmental Relations in K-12 to Higher Education Transitions
    Kirst, Michael W.; Usdan, Michael D.; Evans, Brent J.; Valant, Jon (Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA), 2011)
    The majority of American students who successfully complete high school today reach graduation without satisfying even the minimal qualifications for admission to a four-year college or university (Green and Forster, 2003). For some students, this is neither surprising nor troubling, as they understand the paths ahead of them and have little interest in pursuing postsecondary education. In this paper, the authors explore the transition between American secondary and postsecondary institutions and how it is shaped by intra- and intergovernmental relations. At its core, the authors claim that the problem is one of failed governmental coordination. Then, greater coordination between state agencies and across local, state, and federal governments could hold the key to ensuring that students are prepared to succeed in college and the workforce.
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    SMART Money: Do Financial Incentives Encourage College Students to Study Science?
    Evans, Brent J. (Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA), 2013-04-12)
    Producing more bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering is a major federal education priority. This paper investigates whether providing $4,000 to low-income students in their junior and senior years through the National SMART Grant can encourage them to major in a STEM field. Using administrative data from Ohio public colleges, the paper relies on a regression discontinuity design to identify the causal effect of program eligibility on the pursuit of science majors. Discontinuities exist around the Expected Family Contribution and GPA thresholds necessary to qualify for the SMART Grant. Results from four years of data indicate the financial incentives do not encourage students to choose a science major either at initial or junior year enrollment and do not improve the major persistence of students who initially choose a STEM field. The paper offers several potential explanations as to why students do not respond to the incentive.
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    Understanding Loan Aversion in Education: Evidence from High School Seniors, Community College Students, and Adults
    Boatman, Angela; Evans, Brent J.; Soliz, Adela (SAGE, 2017-01-17)
    Although prior research has suggested that some students may be averse to taking out loans to finance their college education, there is little empirical evidence showing the extent to which loan aversion exists or how it affects different populations of students. This study provides the first large-scale quantitative evidence of levels of loan aversion in the United States. Using survey data collected on more than 6,000 individuals, we examine the frequency of loan aversion in three distinct populations. Depending on the measure, between 20 and 40% of high school seniors exhibit loan aversion with lower rates among community college students and adults not in college. Women are less likely to express loan-averse attitudes than men, and Hispanic respondents are more likely to be loan averse than White respondents.