Working Papers
Need Based Aid for the "Not Too Needy"
I present new evidence on the effects of need-based grant programs for the middle-class. Using data from the National Association of State Student Grant Aid Programs and the Integrated Postsecondary Education System from 2011-2019, I use a synthetic difference-in-differences approach to estimate effects of the first major need-based program in California, the Middle Class Scholarship Program of 2015. I compare outcomes at University of California and California State schools to synthetic outcomes at other public universities in the United States. I evaluate total enrollments and graduation rates before and after program introduction. I find the middle class need-based program increased total enrollments by 3% and graduation rates by 6% per year on average.