Beyond Admission: An Online Math Program and College Persistence Among Low-Income Students at Selective Universities

• In Event: From Access to Achievement: Expanding Advanced Learning Opportunities

Abstract

Financial aid has expanded access to selective universities for low-income students, yet many enter academically demanding programs without adequate preparation to succeed. This paper provides experimental evidence on whether a low-cost, pre-college Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) program can improve academic performance and persistence among low-income scholarship recipients. We evaluate a 14-week online adaptive mathematics program offered to 974 recipients of Peru's Beca 18 scholarship before college entry. The program combines self-paced mathematics instruction with light-touch remote monitoring. Using randomized assignment and five years of administrative records, we find that the program increased first-semester GPA by 0.10 standard deviations and reduced the probability of failing a course by 5 percentage points, an 18% decline relative to the control mean. These improvements persist over time: treated students earn higher GPAs, fail fewer courses, and remain enrolled longer, with no evidence of substantial fade-out over five years. Effects are larger among students with stronger baseline academic preparation and those pursuing STEM, economics, and business majors, suggesting that the intervention is particularly effective when its content aligns with subsequent college coursework. We find little evidence of changes in growth mindset or aspirations, and no detectable local effects of assignment to monitoring calls on subsequent platform use or learning. Our findings contribute to the literature on college readiness and academic bridge programs by showing that targeted, self-paced academic preparation can generate sustained improvements in college outcomes without requiring intensive, campus-based instruction. The results also suggest that scalable academic support before college can complement financial aid in improving the success and persistence of low-income students at selective universities.

Author

• Jostin Alfredo Kitmang, Harvard University
  Presenting Author