College Choice with Certainty over Admission, Free Tuition, and Housing

Last registered on September 20, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
College Choice with Certainty over Admission, Free Tuition, and Housing
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012052
Initial registration date
September 17, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 20, 2023, 10:57 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Richard Murphy
Affiliation
University of Texas at Austin
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Mathew Giani
PI Affiliation
University of Texas at Austin
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PI Name
Stella Flores
PI Affiliation
University of Texas at Austin
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PI Name
Jori Barash
PI Affiliation
University of Texas at Austin
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-09-15
End date
2028-05-01
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
informational intervention, undermatching, higher education, financial aid
JEL code(s)
A22
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The purpose of this research study is to test the effects of three “certainties” on college application, enrollment, and persistence among high-ability, low-income students. The intervention involves randomized access to informational materials that jointly provide certainty about admissions, tuition, and housing. All treated students are guaranteed that, for four years, financial aid will cover tuition costs, they will have a place in on-campus housing, and they will receive a $1,800 subsidy toward housing. Moreover, all students in the top 6% of their graduating cohort are guaranteed admission. This intervention builds on Dynarki et al. (2021), which provided certainty about tuition to Michigan students. This study includes Texas students who are in the Top 10% of their 12th-grade cohort and are eligible for the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch program.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Barash , Jori et al. 2023. "College Choice with Certainty over Admission, Free Tuition, and Housing." AEA RCT Registry. September 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12052-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Eligibility for the intervention is determined at the level of district, then school, and then student. Eligible districts are mid-sized with a high share of students eligible for the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) program and a history of sending graduates to the Flagship University. Among participating districts, eligible schools are classified as regular instruction and rank students by GPA. Among eligible schools, eligible students are FRPL-eligible and in the top 10% of their graduating cohort. We randomize treatment among eligible schools using equal probability of treatment and no stratification. That is, every student in a school who meets the sample criteria is assigned the same treatment status.

The intervention consists of mailing materials to eligible students, their parents, and their school principals during the fall semester. All students receive a university viewbook. Letters each contain a personalized link to an informational website. These materials congratulate students on their academic performance, provide information about the university and application process, and encourage students to apply. For students assigned to treatment, the letter also guarantees four years of free tuition, a $1,800 on-campus housing subsidy, and access to on-campus housing. To receive these benefits, students must apply to and be admitted by the Flagship University.
Intervention Start Date
2023-09-20
Intervention End Date
2023-09-23

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcomes of interest are application and enrollment at the Flagship University, measured using administrative data from the university.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
All outcomes are measured using administrative data from the Flagship, the National Student Clearinghouse, and the Texas Education Research Center (ERC).

Secondary outcomes from the Flagship University: Accessing the custom website, persistence, course outcomes, field of study, and degree(s) earned.

Secondary outcomes from other universities: applications, enrollment, persistence, course outcomes, field of study, and degree(s) earned.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Randomized controlled trial. The intervention will be clustered at the school level, not stratified by school characteristics.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer,
Randomization Unit
High school
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
30 high schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
517 students (around 17 per high school)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
15 treatment, 15 control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Statistical Assumptions: 30 schools, 17 students per school, Effect size of 0.4 (Dynarski 2021), Significance: α= 0.1, ICC:0.15, Power: 0.8
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Texas at Austin, Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2023-07-24
IRB Approval Number
STUDY00004129
Analysis Plan

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