Browsing by Author "Gratz, Trevor"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Sign Me Up: The Factors Predicting Students’ Enrollment in an Early-Commitment Scholarship Program
    Goldhaber, Dan; Long, Mark C.; Person, Ann E.; Rooklyin, Jordan; Gratz, Trevor (SAGE, 2019-06-20)
    We investigate factors influencing student sign-ups for Washington State’s College Bound Scholarship program and consider whether there is scope for the program to change college enrollment expectations. We find that student characteristics associated with signing the scholarship pledge closely parallel characteristics of low-income students who attend 4-year colleges, suggesting that signing the pledge is driven largely by preexisting expectations of college going. We also find evidence that student sign-up rates are lower than have been previously reported, which is important given the perception among program administrators that nearly all eligible students sign up.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Washington’s College Bound Scholarship Program and its Effect on College Entry, Persistence, and Completion
    Long, Mark; Goldhaber, Dan; Gratz, Trevor (Annenberg Institute at Brown University, 2019-09-01)
    Indiana, Oklahoma, and Washington have programs designed to address college enrollment and completion gaps by offering a promise of state-based college financial aid to low-income middle school students in exchange for making a pledge to do well in high school, be a good citizen, not be convicted of a felony, and apply for financial aid to college. Using a triple-difference specification, the authors find that Washington’s College Bound Scholarship shifted enrollment from out-of-state to in-state colleges at which the scholarship could be used. While they find suggestive evidence that the program increased the likelihood of attending a postsecondary institution and attaining a bachelor’s degree within five years of high school, they discuss why the program might be more successful if it did not require students to sign a pledge.