Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
  • Follow JHR on Bluesky
Research ArticleArticles
Open Access

The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on College Enrollment and Completion

Timothy J. Bartik, Brad Hershbein and Marta Lachowska
Journal of Human Resources, January 2021, 56 (1) 269-310; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.56.1.0416-7824R4
Timothy J. Bartik
Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Brad Hershbein
Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Marta Lachowska
Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

References

  1. ↵
    1. Abadie Alberto,
    2. Diamond Alexis,
    3. Hainmueller Jens
    . 2010. “Synthetic Control Methods for Comparative Case Studies: Estimating the Effect of California’s Tobacco Control Program.” Journal of the American Statistical Association 105(490):493–505.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  2. ↵
    1. Abraham Katharine,
    2. Clark Melissa A.
    . 2006. “Financial Aid and Students’ College Decisions: Evidence from the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant Program.” Journal of Human Resources 41(3):578–610.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  3. ↵
    1. Andrews Rodney J.,
    2. DesJardins Stephen,
    3. Ranchhod Vimal
    . 2010. “The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on College Choice.” Economics of Education Review 29(5):722–37.
    OpenUrl
  4. ↵
    1. Angrist Josh,
    2. Autor David,
    3. Hudson Sally,
    4. Pallais Amanda
    . 2015. “Leveling Up: Early Results from a Randomized Evaluation of Post-Secondary Aid.” NBER Working Paper 20800. Cambridge, MA: NBER.
    1. Autor David,
    2. Figlio David,
    3. Karbownik Krzysztof,
    4. Roth Jeffrey,
    5. Wasserman Melanie
    . 2015. “Family Disadvantage and the Gender Gap in Behavioral and Educational Outcomes.” Institute for Policy Research Northwestern University Working Paper WP-15-16. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.
  5. ↵
    1. Bartik Timothy J.,
    2. Eberts Randall W.,
    3. Huang Wei-Jang
    . 2010. “The Kalamazoo Promise and Enrollment and Achievement Trends in Kalamazoo Public Schools.” Upjohn Institute Conference Paper 15. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  6. ↵
    1. Bartik Timothy J.,
    2. Hershbein Brad J.,
    3. Lachowska Marta
    . 2016. “The Merits of Universal Scholarships: Benefit–Cost Evidence from the Kalamazoo Promise.” Journal of Benefit–Cost Analysis 7(3):400–33.
    OpenUrl
    1. Bartik Timothy J.,
    2. Lachowska Marta
    . 2013. “The Short-Term Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on Student Outcomes.” In New Analyses of Worker Well-Being, Research in Labor Economics, Volume 38. ed. Polachek Solomon W., 37–76. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    OpenUrl
  7. ↵
    1. Bartik Timothy J.,
    2. Lachowska Marta
    . 2014. “The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship. College Funds Boosted Grades of African American Students.” Education Next 14(2):72–78.
    OpenUrl
  8. ↵
    1. Bertrand Marianne,
    2. Pan Jessica
    . 2013. “The Trouble with Boys: Social Influences and the Gender Gap in Disruptive Behavior.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 5 (1):32–64.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  9. ↵
    1. Bettinger Eric,
    2. Long Bridget Terry,
    3. Oreopoulos Philip,
    4. Sanbonmatsu Lisa
    . 2012. “The Role of Application Assistance and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 127(3):1205–42.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  10. ↵
    1. Black Dan A.,
    2. Smith Jeffrey A.
    . 2006. “Estimating the Return to College Quality with Multiple Proxies for Quality.” Journal of Labor Economics 24(3):701–28.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  11. ↵
    1. Bound John,
    2. Lovenheim Michael F.,
    3. Turner Sarah
    . 2012. “Increasing Time to Baccalaureate Degree in the United States.” Education Finance and Policy 7(4):375–424.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  12. ↵
    1. Bowen William G.,
    2. Chingos Matthew M.,
    3. McPherson Michael S.
    . 2011. Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America’s Public Universities. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  13. ↵
    1. Bozick Robert,
    2. Gonzalez Gabriella,
    3. Engberg John
    . 2015. “Using a Merit-Based Scholarship Program to Increase Rates of College Enrollment in an Urban School District: The Case of the Pittsburgh Promise.” Journal of Student Financial Aid 45(2):Article 2. https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jsfa/vol45/iss2/2
  14. ↵
    1. Burke Cassie Walker
    . 2014. “Can Free College Save American Cities?” Politico, April 3.
  15. ↵
    1. Caplan-Bricker Nora
    . 2014. “Some Cities Are Promising Free College to High School Students. Does It Work?” New Republic, February 21.
  16. ↵
    1. Carruthers Celeste K.,
    2. Fox William
    . 2016. “College Coaching, Financial Aid, and Post-Secondary Persistence in Tennessee.” Economics of Education Review 51:97–112.
    OpenUrl
  17. ↵
    1. Cataldi Emily Forrest,
    2. Green Caitlin,
    3. Henke Robin,
    4. Lew Terry,
    5. Woo Jennie,
    6. Shepherd Bryan,
    7. Siegel Peter
    . 2011. “2008–09 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/09): First Look.” NCES 2011-236. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
  18. ↵
    1. CBS News
    . 2007. “Affordable College for All.” New York: CBS News, Feb. 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nYI9FMz-sU (accessed June 22, 2015).
  19. ↵
    1. Cohodes Sarah,
    2. Goodman Joshua
    . 2014. “Merit Aid, College Quality, and College Completion: Massachusetts’ Adams Scholarship as an In-Kind Subsidy.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 6(4):251–85.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  20. ↵
    1. Conley Timothy G.,
    2. Taber Christopher R.
    . 2011. “Inference with ‘Difference in Differences’ with a Small Number of Policy Changes.” Review of Economics and Statistics 93(1):113–25.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  21. ↵
    1. Cornwell Christopher M.,
    2. Mustard David B.,
    3. Sridhar Deepa J.
    . 2006. “The Enrollment Effects of Merit-Based Financial Aid: Evidence from Georgia’s HOPE Program.” Journal of Labor Economics 24(4):761–86.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  22. ↵
    1. Deming David,
    2. Dynarski Susan M.
    . 2010. “College Aid.” In Targeting Investments in Children: Fighting Poverty When Resources Are Limited, ed. Levine Phillip B., and Zimmerman David J., 283–302. Chicago: National Bureau of Economic Research and University of Chicago Press.
  23. ↵
    1. Dynarski Susan
    . 2002. “The Behavioral and Distributional Implications of Aid for College.” American Economic Review 92(2):279–85.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  24. ↵
    1. Dynarski Susan
    . 2003. “Does Aid Matter? Measuring the Effect of Student Aid on College Attendance and Completion.” American Economic Review 93(1):279–88.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  25. ↵
    1. Dynarski Susan
    . 2004. “The New Merit Aid.” In College Choices: The Economics of Where to Go, When to Go, and How to Pay for It, ed. Hoxby Caroline, 63–100. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  26. ↵
    1. Dynarski Susan M.,
    2. Hemelt Steven W.,
    3. Hyman Joshua M.
    . 2015. “The Missing Manual: Using National Student Clearinghouse Data to Track Postsecondary Outcomes.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 37(1):54S–79S.
    OpenUrl
  27. ↵
    1. Economist
    . 2008. “Rescuing Kalamazoo: A Promising Future.” Economist, February 7.
  28. ↵
    1. Fishman Ted C.
    2012. “Why These Kids Get a Free Ride to College.” New York Times, September 13.
    1. Hershbein Brad
    . 2013. “A Second Look at Enrollment Changes after the Kalamazoo Promise.” Upjohn Institute Working Paper 200. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  29. ↵
    1. Kalamazoo Area College Access Network
    . 2013. “Kalamazoo Area High School FAFSA Completion Outcomes.” Kalamazoo, MI: Kalamazoo Area College Access Network.
  30. ↵
    1. Kane Thomas J.
    2003. “A Quasi-Experimental Estimate of the Impact of Financial Aid on College-Going.” NBER Working Paper 9703. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
  31. ↵
    1. Kane Thomas J.
    2006. “Evaluating the Impact of the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program.” Journal of Human Resources 42(3):555–82.
    OpenUrl
  32. ↵
    1. LeGower Michael,
    2. Walsh Randall
    . 2017. “Promise Scholarship Programs as Place-Making Policy: Evidence from School Enrollment and Housing Prices.” Journal of Urban Economics 100:74–89.
    OpenUrl
  33. ↵
    1. Mack Julie
    . 2014. “Kalamazoo Promise Expands to Include Private Colleges in Michigan.” Kalamazoo Gazette, June 10. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/06/kalamazoo_promise_expands_to_i.html (accessed July 7, 2014).
  34. ↵
    1. MacKinnon James G.,
    2. Webb Matthew D.
    . 2016. “Randomization Inference for Difference-in-Differences with Few Treated Clusters.” Unpublished.
  35. ↵
    1. Miller Ashley
    . 2018. “College Scholarships as a Tool for Community Development? Evidence from the Kalamazoo Promise.” Economic Development Quarterly 32(1):3–17.
    OpenUrl
  36. ↵
    1. Miller-Adams Michelle
    . 2009. The Power of a Promise: Education and Economic Renewal in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
  37. ↵
    1. NBC News
    . 2013. “Fueled by a Promise, Michigan Students Dream Big.” New York: NBC News, June 13. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/fueled-by-a-promise-michigan-students-dream-big-33396291981 (accessed April 5, 2020).
  38. ↵
    1. Oreopoulos Philip,
    2. Salvanes Kjell
    . 2011. “Priceless: The Nonpecuniary Benefits of Schooling.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 25(1):159–84.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  39. ↵
    1. Ost Ben,
    2. Pan Weixiang,
    3. Webber Douglas
    . 2018. “The Returns to College Persistence for Marginal Students: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from University Dismissal Policies” Journal of Labor Economics 36(3):779–805.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  40. ↵
    1. Page Lindsay C.,
    2. Iriti Jennifer
    . 2016. “On Undermatch and College Cost: A Case Study of the Pittsburgh Promise.” In Matching Students to Opportunity: Expanding College Choice, Access, and Quality, ed. Kelly Andrew P., Howell Jessica S., Satin-Bajaj Carolyn, 135–60. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
    1. Page Lindsay C.,
    2. Scott-Clayton Judith
    . 2016. “Improving College Access in the United States: Barriers and Policy Responses.” Economics of Education Review 51:4–22.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  41. ↵
    1. Scott-Clayton Judith E.
    2011. “On Money and Motivation: A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of Financial Incentives for College Achievement.” Journal of Human Resources 46(3):614–46.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  42. ↵
    1. Sjoquist David L.,
    2. Winters John V.
    . 2015. “State Merit-Based Financial Aid Programs and College Attainment.” Journal of Regional Science 55(3):364–90.
    OpenUrl
  43. ↵
    1. Swanson Elise,
    2. Ritter Gary
    . 2018. “Start to Finish: Examining the Impact of the El Dorado Promise on Postsecondary Outcomes.” Working Paper. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas.
  44. ↵
    1. Zimmerman Seth D.
    2014. “The Returns of College Admission for Academically Marginal Students.” Journal of Labor Economics 32(4):711–54.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 56 (1)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 56, Issue 1
Winter 2021
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on College Enrollment and Completion
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on College Enrollment and Completion
Timothy J. Bartik, Brad Hershbein, Marta Lachowska
Journal of Human Resources Jan 2021, 56 (1) 269-310; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.1.0416-7824R4

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on College Enrollment and Completion
Timothy J. Bartik, Brad Hershbein, Marta Lachowska
Journal of Human Resources Jan 2021, 56 (1) 269-310; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.1.0416-7824R4
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Background on KPS and the Promise
    • III. Data and Methodology
    • IV. Results for Postsecondary Outcomes
    • V. Sensitivity Analyses and Additional Estimates
    • VI. Heterogeneity
    • VII. Discussion and Conclusion
    • Appendix
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Stacking the Deck for Employment Success: Labor Market Returns to Stackable Credentials
  • What Knox Achieved: Estimated Effects of Tuition-free Community College on Attainment and Earnings
  • Impacts of State Aid for Nontraditional Students on Educational and Labor Market Outcomes
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Heterogeneous Returns to Active Labour Market Programs for Indigenous Populations
  • Leadership & Gender Composition in Managerial Positions
  • The Impact of Paid Family Leave on Families with Health Shocks
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • I21
  • I22
  • I24
UW Press logo

© 2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire