| Owner: |
Casandra E. Harper
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| Owner Email: |
harpercas@missouri.edu
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| Paper Title: |
The Effectiveness of Emergency Relief Funding Among Low-Income Undergraduate Students
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| Session Title: |
Assessing Equity, Success, and Effectiveness in Higher Education (Table 31)
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| Paper Type: |
Roundtable Presentation
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| Presentation Date: |
4/11/2024
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| Presentation Location: |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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| Descriptors: |
Experimental Design, Finance, Higher Education
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| Methodology: |
Quantitative
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| Author(s): |
Casandra E. Harper, University of Missouri; Bradley Curs, University of Missouri; Sangmin Park, University of Missouri
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| Unit: |
Division J - Postsecondary Education
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| Abstract: |
This study examines the effectiveness of a one-time financial relief program among low-income undergraduate students across academic and financial outcomes. Using a framework of scarcity and a quasi-experimental approach, we discern the effectiveness of a program that waived small outstanding balances for students in Spring 2015. The sample included 10,168 Pell Grant Eligible students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree and were within 4 years of starting their degree. The results reveal that financial relief applied to low-income students’ accounts can improve their retention, GPA, and degree attainment with noteworthy variations by race and first-generation status. The results also raise continued concerns about how to resolve the future semester financial holds that are seen at higher rates among Students of Color.
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| DOI: |
https://doi.org/10.3102/2107271
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