IES Predoctoral Program Seminar: Dr. Bridget Terry Long

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Field-based Research in Education, sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), welcomes Dr. Bridget Terry Long to our weekly seminar series.

Connecting Students with Financial Aid: The Impact of Information and Framing on Aid Renewal and Enrollment Intensity
Presented by Dr. Bridget Terry Long, Dean and Saris Professor of Economics and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
The growth of behavioral economics and testing of “nudges” to improve education outcomes have led to insights on how to reduce barriers to postsecondary entry.  However, there continue to be questions about the potential benefits and limits of information and simplification interventions. Moreover, little is understood about the role of the specific format, frequency, and type of information in determining outcomes.  We address this gap in the literature to provide additional evidence on the impact of information on college outcomes.  We also extend the literature by testing interventions focused on college persistence and enrollment intensity, outcomes that have received far less attention than postsecondary entry.  Under a unique partnership with the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), we conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a subsample of over 15,000 college students from the 2015-16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16). Our interventions are designed to address students’ lack of awareness about financial aid eligibility, FAFSA application procedures, and financial aid award rules related to college credits.  We also vary the framing of the information, and using daily filing data, we are able to examine the timing of students’ actions in relation to the timing of the interventions.  Our findings suggest the informational interventions increased the likelihood of FAFSA submission and persistence in postsecondary enrollment. Using a nationally-representative sample of data, we are also able to detect differential effects by student characteristics and institution type.

More information
The IES Predoctoral Program’s weekly seminar series connects program fellows and affiliates to scholars and practitioners who engage in educational research and the development of research methods.

 Seminars are likely of interest to doctoral students and faculty. If you are interested in attending, please email Melanie Bahti.