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Pittsburgh Promise: Using a Merit-Based Scholarship Program to Increase College Enrollment

This study examines the impact of the Pittsburgh Promise, a $5,000/year scholarship program, on rates of college enrollment among high school graduates in Pittsburgh. The research objective is to determine if the Promise improves college enrollment rates. The study utilizes administrative data from the Pittsburgh Public School District and National Student Clearinghouse data to analyze the eligibility and college enrollment of graduates from 2006 to 2010. The findings suggest that while there is no direct overall effect on college attendance, there is an increase in enrollment at four-year in-state schools. The next steps for the Pittsburgh Promise include increasing the award amount, introducing additional incentives based on PSSA scores, and exploring regression discontinuity and behavioral requirements in other Promise programs like the New Haven Promise.

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Pittsburgh Promise: Using a Merit-Based Scholarship Program to Increase College Enrollment

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  1. Using a Merit-Based Scholarship Program to Increase Rates of College Enrollment in an Urban School District: The Case of the Pittsburgh Promise* Robert Bozick, Gabriella Gonzalez, and John Engberg RAND Corporation November 2012 *This study was supported partially by the R. K. Mellon Foundation and The Heinz Endowments to the Pittsburgh Promise. All analyses and commentary are strictly those of the authors.

  2. The Pittsburgh Promise • Support: $100 million from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center • Inception: First made available to class of 2008 • Award: $5,000 a year, up to four years • Eligibility: Resident of Pittsburgh attending and graduating from a public or charter high school, meeting academic requirements *Research Objective: Does the Promise improve rates of college enrollment among high school graduates in Pittsburgh?

  3. Data • Pittsburgh Public School District administrative data to determine scholarship eligibility and sociodemographic background • National Student Clearinghouse data to determine college enrollment • Public school graduates from the classes of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 • N = 8,718

  4. Eligibility Requirements

  5. Eligibility Distribution

  6. Difference-in-Difference Estimation η = difference-in-difference parameter X = sex, race, free/reduced price lunch, age, English proficiency τ = annual unemployment rate ν = fixed-effects

  7. Logistic Regression Predicting College Enrollment

  8. Summary of Findings • No Direct Overall Effect: Eligible students as likely to attend college before and after the scholarship was introduced ….but… • Increase in Enrollment at Four-Year In-State Schools • Caution: It is still early, the program is gaining traction

  9. Next Steps • Award Increased: $5,000 to $10,000 a year • Additional Incentives: Dependent on PSSA scores • Regression Discontinuity: Eligibility and geo-spatial cut-points • New Haven Promise: Behavioral requirements and full tuition

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