Demystifying College Costs Through Behavioral Nudges: Experimental Evidence from China

Last registered on October 17, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Demystifying College Costs Through Behavioral Nudges: Experimental Evidence from China
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012304
Initial registration date
October 15, 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
October 17, 2023, 1:44 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
China
Region
Guizhou

Primary Investigator

Name
QIUXIANG WU
Affiliation
School of Education， Renmin Uninversity of China
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-11-01
End date
2023-12-31
Keywords
Agriculture, Behavior, Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Rapidly increasing college tuition affects students’ college choice decisions, deterring enrollment at selective options. In this project, we aim to examine the role of behavioral interventions in influencing college cost information on university enrollment decisions among disadvantaged students, particularly in the context of a tuition fee increasing policy. Among a sample of Chinese low-income college applicants in 2023 who faced college tuition increases, we randomly assigned students to control or treatment groups with information on (a) the national tuition increase policy, (b) the national tuition increase policy and financial aid policy, or (c) the national tuition increase policy and benefits of enrolling in major cities. Using survey and administrative data, we offer novel insights on nudges to enhance low-income students' college access and success worldwide.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
WU, QIUXIANG. 2023. "Demystifying College Costs Through Behavioral Nudges: Experimental Evidence from China." AEA RCT Registry. October 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12304-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Our intervention experiment is based on three
categories of information relevant to the cost and benefits of attending universities.
• Treatment 1 – Cost Increase : We offer information on substantial increase in tuition fees at universities in Shanghai.
• Treatment 2 – Cost Increase + Fundraising Channels: We offer information on substantial increase in tuition fees at universities in Shanghai and abundant scholarship and financial aid system in universities.
• Treatment 3 – Cost Increase + Long-term Benefits:We offer information on substantial increase in tuition fees at universities in Shanghai and abundant scholarship and positive future development prospects in major cities.
Intervention Start Date
2023-11-13
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
• College choice in major cities
-Whether students connsider applying to universities in Shanghai
-Whether students selected a university in Shanghai or a university in Guizhou if they were accepted to both this year.

• Wage belief
- How much do students perceive the difference in salaries between Shanghai and Guizhou graduates

• Factors influenced college choice
- The most important reason on students choosing universities in Shanghai, including academia, subjects, financial aid, job opportunities, culture and reputation.
- The most important reason on students not choosing universities in Shanghai, including living cost, subjects in local university, job market in hometown, family support and culture.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
• The information intervention was conducted in a low-income county in Guizhou, China, which was previously designated as a national key county for poverty alleviation and development. We chose Shanghai as one of the major cities for comparison because it is China's economic center and one of the regions with the highest increase in tuition fees.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
 The information intervention experiment was carried out during the college application period for the 2023 high school graduation cohort and involved 7 high school seniors. The research sample used in this study represents a population characterized by relatively disadvantaged socio-economic status, making it highly representative for studying relevant issues concerning students from impoverished and rural areas, as well as other vulnerable groups. We randomized students (at the school level) into one of four groups:
- Group 1 (control): No information
- Group 2 (Treatment 1): Information about the cost increase of attending universities
- Group 3 (Treatment 2): Treatment 1 + Information about scholarships and loans available for university education.
- Group 4 (Treatment 3): Treatment 1 + Information regarding the future returns of attending universities in major cities.
 Post-intervention preferences. In order to analyze the impact of this intervention experiment, we asked participants to select between being admitted to a university in Shanghai or a university in Guizhou if they were accepted to both this year. Besides, we also asked relevant questions in order to analyze which factor considering college choice was influenced by our experiment.
 Heterogeneity. We plan to look at the following sources of heterogeneity: a) by family backgrounds. b) by students’ personal traits. c) by students’ expected education level.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Office by computer
Randomization Unit
The treatments are randomized at the individual level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
7 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
3000 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
The sample size for each treatment group and the control group is 5000 students
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Academic Ethics Committee, School of Education, Renmin University of China
IRB Approval Date
2023-09-11
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials