Working Paper: NBER ID: w30665
Authors: Andrew C. Barr; Kelli A. Bird; Benjamin L. Castleman; William L. Skimmyhorn
Abstract: Lack of information and advising prior to college matriculation may contribute to poor post-secondary outcomes among non-traditional students. We conducted a large-scale, multi-arm field experiment with the U.S. Army to investigate whether a package of research-based personalized information and access to advising affects postsecondary choices and attainment among a large non-traditional adult population. We find no impact of the intervention on whether veterans enroll in college, on the quality of their college enrollment, or on their persistence in college. Our results suggest that influencing non-traditional populations’ educational decisions and outcomes will require substantially more intensive programs.
Keywords: postsecondary education; nontraditional students; veterans; randomized controlled trial; information and advising
JEL Codes: H5; I23; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Intervention (personalized information and advising) (L86) | College enrollment rates among veterans (I23) |
| Intervention materials provided to veterans (H56) | Quality of institutions enrolled in (measured by graduation rates) (I23) |
| Intervention (D74) | College persistence rates and GI Bill usage (I23) |