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Cited by 953Higher Education Research StudiesSchool Choice and PerformancePoverty, Education, and Child Welfare

The Role of Application Assistance and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block Fafsa Experiment*

Bettinger, Eric P., Long, Bridget Terry, Oreopoulos, Philip, Sanbonmatsu, Lisa·2012·The Quarterly Journal of Economics
DOI 10.1093/qje/qjs017
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Abstract

Growing concerns about low awareness and take-up rates for government support programs like college financial aid have spurred calls to simplify the application process and enhance visibility. We present results from a randomized field experiment in which low-income individuals receiving tax preparation help were also offered immediate assistance and a streamlined process to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for themselves or their children. Treated participants were also provided with aid estimates that were compared against tuition cost amounts for nearby colleges. The combined assistance and information treatment substantially increased FAFSA submissions and ultimately the likelihood of college attendance, persistence, and aid receipt. In particular, high school seniors whose parents received the treatment were 8 percentage points more likely to have completed two years of college, going from 28% to 36%, during the first three years following the experiment. Families who received aid information but no assistance with the FAFSA did not experience improved outcomes. The findings suggest many other opportunities for using personal assistance to increase participation in programs that require filling out forms to become eligible.

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Crossref · 10.1093/qje/qjs017

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2 of 2 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • These results are quite comparable to those of studies examining other ways to simplify the college transition.

    “These results are quite comparable to those of studies examining other ways to simplify the college transition.”

    From Keeping College Options Open: A Field Experiment to Help all High School Seniors Through the College Application Process (2019) · cites this paper as Bettinger et al. (2012)

  • Collectively, these studies demonstrate that complexity and lack of support in the college transition process affect whether some individuals enroll or not.

    “Collectively, these studies clearly demonstrate that complexity and lack of support in the college transition process affect whether some individuals enroll or not.”

    From Keeping College Options Open: A Field Experiment to Help all High School Seniors Through the College Application Process (2019) · cites this paper as Bettinger et al. (2012)

  • Informational interventions alone have limited impacts on college access and aid effectiveness, while interventions providing application support and/or upfront guarantees of aid eligibility without complex applications show more promising results.

    “In general, our review of this evidence indicates that informational interventions alone have limited impacts (such as, for example, the passive provision of net price calculators on college websites, or even proactive communication of eligibility for tax benefits; see, e.g., Levine, 2014;Bergman, Denning, & Manoli, 2019), while interventions that provide application support and/or provide upfront”

    From College Costs, Financial Aid, and Student Decisions (2022) · cites this paper as Bettinger et al., 2012

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Authors
Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. T., Oreopoulos, P., & Sanbonmatsu, L.
Affiliations
  • National Bureau of Economic Research (US)
  • Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CA)
ORCID
Venue
The Quarterly Journal of Economics
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2012-07-20
Volume
127
Issue
3
Pages
1205-1242
ISSN
  • 0033-5533 (ISSN-L)
  • 1531-4650
DOI
10.1093/qje/qjs017
OpenAlex
W2033589540
Cited by
953
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 46 · 2025: 68 · 2024: 66 · 2023: 69 · 2022: 78 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 90 · 2018: 72 · 2017: 73 · 2016: 78 · 2015: 69 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 14
FWCI
256.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Quarterly Journal of Economics (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
  • Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
Keywords
FAFSA, college financial aid, college enrollment, college persistence, application assistance, low-income households, program take-up, high school seniors

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