Code for "The Power of Certainty: Experimental Evidence on the Effective Design of Free Tuition Programs"

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Elizabeth Burland, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan; Susan Dynarski, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University; Katherine Michelmore, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan; Stephanie Owen, Department of Economics, Colby College; Shwetha Raghuraman, Department of Economics, University of MIchigan

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  Codebooks 08/17/2022 06:11:PM
  Programs 08/17/2022 06:17:PM
README_Certainty_replication.pdf application/pdf 395.1 KB 11/10/2022 10:53:AM

Project Citation: 

Burland, Elizabeth, Dynarski, Susan, Michelmore, Katherine, Owen, Stephanie , and Raghuraman, Shwetha. Code for “The Power of Certainty: Experimental Evidence on the Effective Design of Free Tuition Programs.” Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-08-17. https://doi.org/10.3886/E177842V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary Proposed “free college” policies vary widely in design. The simplest set tuition to zero for everyone.More targeted approaches limit free tuition to those who demonstrate need through an application process.We experimentally test the effects of these two models on the schooling decisions of low-income students.An unconditional free tuition offer from a large public university substantially increases application and enrollment rates. A free tuition offer contingent on proof of need has a much smaller effect on application and none on enrollment. These results are consistent with students placing a high value on financial certainty when making schooling decisions.
Funding Sources:  View help for Funding Sources Institute of Education Sciences of the US Department of Education (R305B1170015); Smith Richardson Foundation; Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Randomized controlled trial
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      I21 Analysis of Education
      I22 Educational Finance; Financial Aid
      I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
      I24 Education and Inequality
      I28 Education: Government Policy
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2010 – 2020
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) program source code

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Students, High schools

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Published Versions

V1 [2023-08-17]

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