College Access & Success

In partnership with the State of Delaware and several school districts in Wisconsin, we are investigating the scalability of personalized text messaging campaigns to help students apply for financial aid and matriculate to college.

In partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County, we are sending new loan applicants text messages that provide simplified information about the loan origination process and that offer one-on-one loan counseling from a financial aid counselor. We are evaluating the texting campaign through a randomized controlled trial.

In partnership with the West Virginia Higher Education Planning Commission, we will send students attending GEAR UP high schools personalized text messages about important tasks to complete in order to matriculate and persist in college.

This study investigates whether, how, and why need-based financial aid affects the behavior of students in key science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) programs by contributing to their chances of success. More specifically, we examine the pathways through which aid affects students’ selection of, continued enrollment in, and successful completion of associate and baccalaureate degrees in STEM.

In partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and America Achieves, we are evaluating the impact of the CollegePoint Initiative, which offers high-achieving, low-income students across the country one-on-one, online advising throughout the college and financial aid process.