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Cited by 359Higher Education Research StudiesSchool Choice and PerformanceEducation and Public Policy

Merit Aid, College Quality, and College Completion: Massachusetts' Adams Scholarship as an In-Kind Subsidy

Cohodes, Sarah R., Goodman, Joshua S.·2014·American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
DOI 10.1257/app.6.4.251
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Abstract

We analyze a Massachusetts merit aid program that gives high-scoring students tuition waivers at in-state public colleges with lower graduation rates than available alternative colleges. A regression discontinuity design comparing students just above and below the eligibility threshold finds that students are remarkably willing to forgo college quality and that scholarship use actually lowered college completion rates. These results suggest that college quality affects college completion rates. The theoretical prediction that in-kind subsidies of public institutions can reduce consumption of the subsidized good is shown to be empirically important. (JEL H75, I22, I23, I28)

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1257/app.6.4.251

Cites

54 of 54 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The Adams Scholarship in Massachusetts shifted students towards in-state, public schools away from better-resourced options, reducing their rate of degree attainment.

    “The Adams Scholarship in Massachusetts shifted towards in-state, public schools away from better-resourced options, reducing students' their rate of degree attainment (Cohodes & Goodman, 2014).”

    From College Costs, Financial Aid, and Student Decisions (2022) · cites this paper as Cohodes & Goodman, 2014

  • Massachusetts' Adams Scholarship reduced college degree completion by inducing students to enroll in in-state, public institutions rather than higher-resourced institutions they would have attended otherwise.

    “For example, Massachusetts' Adams Scholarship, actually reduced college degree completion, by inducing students to enroll in in-state, public institutions rather than the higher-resourced institutions they would have attended otherwise (Cohodes & Goodman, 2014).”

    From College Costs, Financial Aid, and Student Decisions (2022) · cites this paper as Cohodes & Goodman, 2014

  • This ratio is lower than those estimated by Cohodes and Goodman (2014) and Bleemer (2018a) in other contexts.

    “a lower ratio than those estimated by Cohodes and Goodman (2014) and Bleemer (2018a) in other contexts.”

    From Affirmative Action, Mismatch, and Economic Mobility after California’s Proposition 209 (2021) · cites this paper as Cohodes and Goodman (2014)

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Related

Authors
Cohodes, S. R., & Goodman, J. S.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Publisher
American Economic Association
Published
2014-10-01
Volume
6
Issue
4
Pages
251-285
ISSN
  • 1945-7782 (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-7790
DOI
10.1257/app.6.4.251
OpenAlex
W3124362211
Cited by
359
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 9
FWCI
169.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • American Economic Journal Applied 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 › Political Science and International Relations › Education and Public Policy
Keywords
merit aid, tuition waivers, college completion, university quality, public higher education, student choice, Massachusetts

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