Financial Aid and Students' College Decisions: Evidence from the District of Columbia's Tuition Assistance Grant Program

摘要: Abstract The District of Columbia™s Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), instituted in 1999, allows DC residents to attend public colleges and universities throughout the country at considerably lower in-state tuition rates. We use sharp decline price faced by Columbia under DCTAG estimate effects on students™ college application enrollment decisions. Using a sample students from nearby large cities as control group, we find that number share applying four-year increased substantially program, were more likely apply eligible for subsidy. Freshmen enrollments also institutions, although effect overall freshmen was fairly modest, suggesting its first year subsidy had an impact where chose than whether they all. Katharine G. Abraham Joint Survey Methodology Department Economics University Maryland College Park, MD 20742 kabraham@survey.umd.edu Melissa A. Clark Mathematica Policy Research 600 Alexander Park Princeton, NJ 08540 mclark@mathematica-mpr.com