Heterogeneous Effects of a Comprehensive College Transition Program on Psychosocial Outcomes: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial

• In Event: Examining the Effects of First-Year, Transition, and Support Programs

Abstract

In this paper, we are interested in estimating whether a comprehensive college transition program (CCTP) that serves a diverse group of students enrolled at University of Nebraska system universities has heterogeneous effects across student groups. We leverage a randomized control trial to estimate the impact of the program on students’ sense of mattering to campus, a psychosocial outcome that is both theoretically and empirically related to students’ collegiate experiences, achievement, and persistence. We estimate heterogenous intent-to-treat effects of the CCTP across race/ethnicity, gender, prior achievement, parental education status, and family income. Our results indicate that the CCTP was particularly effective for students of color and first-generation students, suggesting that CCTPs that improve student outcomes overall can also be equity-enhancing.

Authors

• Tatiana Melguizo, University of Southern California

• Elise Swanson, Harvard University

• Paco Martorell, University of California - Davis