Paying Students to Be Students: A Systematic Review of Student Financial Incentive Programs

• In Event: Research In Progress Roundtables Session 4
  In Invited Roundtable: Examining Influences on Student Outcomes: Incentives, Sorting, Learning Strategies, and School Mobility (Table 17)

Abstract

Financial incentives are ubiquitous in society but are typically not integrated into the student educational experience. A growing body of research suggests there is promise in providing financial incentives to students for performing behaviors that improve student expectancy, though effects of previous student financial incentive programs overall are mixed. Prior studies indicate incentive structures that reward achievement of intermediate mastery-based goals rather than performance goals, minimize delay in reward distribution, and offer complementary academic supports are more successful in improving student achievement, especially for students with lower baseline ability. This systematic review will examine the efficacy of various designs and heterogenous effects within previous incentive studies and outline a path forward to increase the impact of student financial incentive programs.

Author

• Mitchel Ryan Mandel, University of Louisville