Table 9

Randomized Evaluations of College Achievement Awards

Study
1		Sample
2		Treatment
3		Outcome
4		Effects
All
5		Men
6		Women
7
1.Angrist, Lang, and Oreopoulos (2009) [The Student Achievement and Retention Project]First year students at Canadian commuter university in 2005–2006, except for top HS grade quartile$1,000 for C+ to B− first year performance, $5,000 for B+ to A performance (varies by HS grade)First year GPA0.010
(0.064)
[1.805]		−0.110
(0.103)
[1.908]		0.086
(0.084)
[1.728]
First year credits earned−0.012
(0.064)
[2.363]		−0.157
(0.106)
[2.453]		0.084
(0.082)
[2.298]
Second year GPA−0.018
(0.066)
[2.040]		−0.081
(0.108)
[2.084]		0.030
(0.085)
[2.008]
Second year credits earned0.027
(0.108)
[2.492]		0.155
(0.180)
[2.468]		−0.024
(0.137)
[2.509]
Incentives and support servicesFirst year GPA0.210
(0.092)**
[1.805]		0.084
(0.162)
[1.908]		0.267
(0.117)**
[1.728]
First year credits earned0.092
(0.087)
[2.363]		−0.196
(0.015)
[2.453]		0.269
(0.108)**
[2.298]
Second year GPA0.072
(0.091)
[2.040]		−0.170
(0.161)
[2.084]		0.276
(0.106)***
[2.008]
Second year credits earned0.072
(0.130)
[2.492]		−0.240
(0.206)
[2.468]		0.280
(0.172)
[2.509]
2.Angrist, Oreopoulos, and Williams (2013) [Opportunity Knocks]First-year students on financial aid at Canadian commuter university in 2008–2009Over two semesters and for each semester-long course, $100 for attaining at least 70 percent and $20 for each percentage point higher than this (full course load = 10 semester courses)First year GPA−0.019
(0.058)
[2.42]		0.019
(0.096)
[2.55]		−0.021
(0.073)
[2.37]
GPA, fall term of year after program0.119
(0.068)*
[2.60]		0.083
(0.127)
[2.58]		0.148
(0.079)*
[2.61]
Second-year students on financial aid at Canadian commuter University in 2008-2009First year GPA0.075
(0.061)
[2.65]		0.126
(0.097)
[2.67]		0.055
(0.079)
[2.64]
GPA, fall term of year after program−0.041
(0.074)
[2.83]		−0.144
(0.122)
[2.79]		0.019
(0.096)
[2.85]
3.Barrow et al. (2012) [Opening Doors Louisiana]Low-income parents beginning community college in Louisiana between 2004 and 2005For each of two semesters, $250 for at least half-time enrollment, $250 for C average or better at end of midterms, and $500 for maintaining a C average, plus optional enhanced college counselingFirst semester credits earned1.222
(0.285)***
[4.609]		sample is mostly female
Second semester credits earned1.126
(0.265)***
[2.77]
Credits earned, year after program0.343
(0.456)
4.Cha and Patel (2010) [Ohio Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration]Low-income Ohio college students in 2008 with children and eligible for TANF$1,800 for earning a grade of C or better in 12 or more credits, or $900 for a C or better in 6 to 11 credits, with payments at end of each semesterFirst year credits attempted0.5
(0.4)
[19.5]		sample is mostly female
First year credits earned2.0
(0.5)***
[13.4]
5.De Paola, Scoppa, and Nistico (2012)First-year business students at the University of Calabria in 2008-2009$1,000 for students with the 30 highest cumulative scores on all examsCumulative exam score6.023
(3.059)**		5.390
(4.615)		5.841
(4.061)
Credits earned2.335
(1.197)**		1.759
(1.854)		2.490
(1.518)*
$350 for students with the 30 highest cumulative scores on all examsCumulative exam score5.350
(3.164)*		2.354
(4.877)		6.157
(4.207)
Credits earned2.194
(1.266)*		0.714
(1.970)		2.766
(1.655)*
6.Leuven, Oosterbeek, and van der Klaauw (2010)First-year economics and business students at the University of Amsterdam in 200–2002$600 for completion of all first year requirements by start of new academic yearMet first year requirements0.046
(0.065)
[0.195]		not reported
Total “credit points” in first three years−1.2
(9.8)
[84.3]
$200 for completion of all first year requirements by start of new academic yearMet first year requirements0.007
(0.062)
[0.195]
Total “credit points” in first three years−2.5
(9.6)
[84.3]
7.Leuven et al. (2011)First-year economics and business students at the University of Amsterdam in 2004–2005 and 2005–2006$1,250 for the student with the top microeconomics exam scoreMicroeconomics exam score0.974
(0.877)
[18.7]		not reported
$3,750 for the student with the top microeconomics exam scoreMicroeconomics exam score1.184
(0.617)*
[18.9]
$6,250 for the student with the top microeconomics exam scoreMicroeconomics exam score−0.629
(0.644)
[21.2]
8.MacDonald et al. (2009) [Foundations for Success]At-risk students beginning community college in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2008$750 each of three semesters for 1) obtaining 2.0 GPA or higher, 2) eligible to continue in a full program the following semester, and 3) completing at least 12 hours of tutorial, case management, or career workshopsFirst semester GPA during program (missing imputed)0.07
p > 0.1
[2.11]		not reported0.12
p > 0.1
[2.20]
Second semester GPA during program (missing imputed)0.12 p < 0.05**
[1.88]		0.14 p < 0.05**
[2.04]
Third semester GPA during program (missing imputed)0.01
p > 0.1
[2.09]		0.12
p < 0.05**
[2.16]
Fourth semester GPA (after program)0.07
p > 0.1
[2.18]		0.16
p < 0.05**
[2.33]
9.Miller et al. (2011) [New Mexico Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration]Low-income students starting at the University of New Mexico in fall, 2008, and fall, 2009$1,000 each of four semesters for 1) obtaining 2.0 GPA or higher, 2) enrolling full time, and 3) completing two extra advisor meetings per semesterFirst semester credits earned0.0
(0.2)
[12.8]		not reported
Second semester credits earned0.6
(0.3)*
[11.1]
10.Richburg-Hayes Sommo, and Welbeck (2011) [New York Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration]New York City community college students aged 22–35 who required remediation fall, 2008, through fall, 2009Up to $1,300 each of two or three semesters, paid in installments for achieving 1) registration, 2) continued mid-semester enrollment, and 3) 2.0 GPA in at least six creditsFirst semester credits earned0.6
(0.3)*
[8.1]		not reported
Second semester credits attempted0.6
(0.4)
[9.3]

  • Notes: The table reports treatment effects for grades, credits earned, and measures of persistence. Standard errors are shown in parentheses. Control means are shown in square brackets.

  • ↵* significant at 10 percent level.

  • ↵** significant at 5 percent level.

  • ↵*** significant at 1 percent level