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The Impact of Free Tuition on Student Access in Chilean Higher Education
Fri, May 5, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (8:00 to 9:30am CDT), Division J Virtual Sessions, Division J - Postsecondary Education Virtual Paper RoomAbstract
Free tuition policies have emerged around the world aiming to improve equity in higher education access. Sending a clear message about free college, they have the potential to influence the educational outcomes of marginalized populations. In this paper, I examine the case of Chile, a country that implemented such a policy in 2016. Using a difference-in-difference analytical strategy, I estimate the effect of the policy on student higher education access. Results show positive effects on increasing financial aid applications and the quality of the first institutional choice in the university application form. Although a negligible effect on increasing eligible student enrollment rates is found, the policy changes student preferences from institutions not in the policy to institutions in the policy.