Title
Paying for Performance: The Education Impacts of a Community College Scholarship Program for Low-income Adults
Author(s)
Lisa Barrow Lisa Barrow (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago)
Lashawn Richburg-Hayes Lashawn Richburg-Hayes (MDRC)
Cecilia E. Rouse Cecilia Rouse (Princeton University)
Thomas Brock Thomas Brock (MDRC)
Abstract
We evaluate the effect of performance-based incentive programs on educational outcomes for community college students from a random assignment experiment at three campuses. Incentive payments over two semesters were tied to meeting two conditions - enrolling at least half time and maintaining a C or better grade point average. Eligibility increased the likelihood of enrolling in the second semester after random assignment and total number of credits earned. Over two years, program group students completed nearly 40 percent more credits. We find little evidence that program eligibility changed types of courses taken but some evidence of increased academic performance and effort.
Creation Date
2012-02
Section URL ID
ERS
Paper Number
30
URL
https://dataspace.princeton.edu/bitstream/88435/dsp01qz20ss53s/4/30ers.pdf
File Function
Jel
I200, I210, I230, J240
Keyword(s)
education, incentives, college, community college, academic performance
Suppress
false
Series
2