Does State Merit-Based Aid Stem Brain Drain?
Abstract
In this study, the authors use college enrollment and migration data to test the brain drain hypothesis. Their results suggest that state merit scholarship programs do indeed stanch the migration of “best and brightest” students to other states. In the aggregate and on average, the implementation of state merit aid programs both increases the total 1st-year student enrollment in merit aid states and boosts resident college enrollment in these states significantly. The gross enrollment increase is a function of increased total student enrollment from these states and, perhaps more important, decreased emigration from these states. In addition to these overall effects, variations across states and across types of institutions exist due to scholarship eligibility criteria and award amount across states.
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The literature to date has shown that merit programs can lead to decreases in the loss of talented students to other states.
“decreases in the loss of talented students to other states (Zhang & Ness, 2010);”
From College Costs, Financial Aid, and Student Decisions (2022) · cites this paper as Zhang & Ness, 2010
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References 52 · Cited by 119
- Authors
- Zhang, L., & Ness, E. C.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- ORCID
- Zhang, Liang
- Venue
- Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 143-165
- ISSN
- 0162-3737 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-1062
- OpenAlex
- W2035286043
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 39.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Keywords
- brain drain, merit scholarships, student migration, college enrollment, student emigration, scholarship eligibility criteria, higher education policy
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