Overcoming Information Friction in Tertiary Education: Evidence from a Digital Intervention in Bangladesh

Last registered on June 18, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Overcoming Information Friction in Tertiary Education: Evidence from a Digital Intervention in Bangladesh
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018497
Initial registration date
June 11, 2026

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
June 18, 2026, 9:20 AM EDT

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

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Abu Shonchoy
Affiliation
Florida International University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Khandker Wahedur Rahman
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Shaila Ahmed
PI Affiliation
BRAC University
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Sergio Barrera
PI Affiliation
Virginia Tech
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-05-11
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Access to higher education can improve career opportunities and economic mobility, but many young people in developing countries lack reliable information about university admissions, scholarships, and financing options for their studies. This study examines whether providing targeted information can help students make better decisions about higher education in Bangladesh. Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT) across 175 BRAC branches in 12 districts of Bangladesh, we evaluate the effects of digital information packages covering university admissions, scholarships, accommodation, and part-time work opportunities. We assess their impact on students’ educational aspirations, university application preparedness, tertiary enrollment, and engagement in income-generating activities. We further examine whether providing information about available microcredit options for financing higher education generates additional effects. By distinguishing between general educational information and credit-related information, the research aims to improve understanding of how information barriers influence educational investment decisions among young people in a rapidly growing, mobile-connected society.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ahmed, Shaila et al. 2026. "Overcoming Information Friction in Tertiary Education: Evidence from a Digital Intervention in Bangladesh." AEA RCT Registry. June 18. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18497-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention was designed to reduce informational barriers to tertiary education by providing students with information on educational opportunities, financial support mechanisms, and pathways to accessing higher education.
Intervention Start Date
2024-05-11
Intervention End Date
2027-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
■ Knowledge
● Knowledge about opportunities in tertiary education
● Knowledge of scholarship opportunities
● Knowledge of self-finance opportunities (part-time jobs)
● Knowledge of the availability of credit to finance education
● Cost of living
■ Preparation for the Admission Exam
● Prep-School (Coaching center) enrollment
● Private tutor
● Number of admission exams taken.
● Education investment for admission success (including travel cost, admission form cost, and coaching center-related costs)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
■ Building Networks: Behavioral shifts after receiving the information
● Talked with parents
● Talked with relatives, friends, or other networks
● Managed finance to pursue education.
● Build Job-related networks
● Learned marketable skills for the part-time job
● Intensity of Exam Preparation
Long term outcomes include:
● Admission result (passed/in the waiting list/rejected)
● Merit position (if passed, then what position)
● Actual enrollment to tertiary education (if passed, did they enroll?)
● Share of students engaged in income-generating activities (IGA)
● Share of students' average monthly earnings from income-generating activities (IGA)

Potential Knowledge spillover:
■ Intra-household (parents, siblings)
■ Within the village, within the MF branch
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study design consists of two information treatment groups and one control group. Treatment Group 1 (T1) receives a digital information intervention, while Treatment Group 2 (T2) receives the same digital information intervention supplemented with credit-related information. The control group (C) does not receive either intervention. The study evaluates the impact of these digital informational interventions on tertiary enrollment outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization was done by a computer.
Randomization Unit
BRAC branches
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
175 branches of BRAC microfinance
Sample size: planned number of observations
1750 students. 10 students in each branch of BRAC MF.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1. T1: 24 branches
2. T2: 72 branches
3. C: 79 branches
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Our primary outcomes of interest are i) knowledge about scholarships and financing opportunities in tertiary education and ii) taking initiatives to get admission into tertiary education. We assume that the pre-intervention prevalence of knowledge is 30% and that taking the initiative of getting admission is 40%. We also assume that the prevalence of admission is 25%. We further assume that the intra-cluster correlation (ICC) is 0.15 (based on analyzing the baseline measurement of aspiration to pursue higher education, exam result, HH’s status as a borrower, and we assumed the highest ICC to be conservative in our analysis). Under these assumptions, for 95% confidence interval and a statistical power of 90%, our minimum detectable effect sizes (MDEs) are as follows: Prevalence of knowledge: 17.55 percentage points in T1 and 12.24 percentage points in T2. Prevalence of taking the initiative of getting admission: 18.09 percentage points in T1 and 12.71 percentage points in T2. Getting admission in tertiary institutions: 16.96 percentage points in T1 and 11.77 percentage points in T2.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institutional Review Board, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
IRB Approval Date
2025-04-24
IRB Approval Number
IRB-2024-ES-06
Analysis Plan