Tennessee HOPE Access: A Regression Discontinuity of Student Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion  (Poster 24)

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

The distinction between need and merit based financial aid is becoming increasingly blurred as states implement financial aid programs that use both to determine eligibility. While researchers have studied the effects of need and merit aid, few studies look at combination programs. This study evaluates outcomes of Tennessee’s HOPE Access grant, which has both income and academic eligibility criteria. HOPE Access is offered to low-income students who are just below the threshold to receive the merit-based HOPE grant; both of which are part of the state’s lottery-funded financial aid program. The purpose of this project is to understand the effect of HOPE Access on student academic achievement (including college enrollment, persistence, and completion). This study uses a regression discontinuity design to compare outcomes for low-income students who met the criteria for HOPE Access with low-income students who met the criteria for HOPE and students who did not meet criteria for any state lottery aid. In addition to gaining a better understanding of this specific program, the results provide key information as other states consider including income or merit criteria to their financial aid programs.

Author

• Amberly Dziesinski, University of Wisconsin - Madison