Information, College Decisions and Financial Aid: Evidence from a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in China

Posted: 13 Jul 2013

See all articles by Prashant Kumar Loyalka

Prashant Kumar Loyalka

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Yingquan Song

Peking University

Jianguo Wei

Peking University

Weiping Zhong

Peking University

Scott Rozelle

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies

Date Written: October 1, 2012

Abstract

Past studies find that disadvantaged students in the United States are often misinformed about college costs and financial aid opportunities and thus may make sub-optimal decisions regarding college. This information problem may be even more serious in developing countries. We therefore conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of providing information on college costs and financial aid to high school students in poor regions of northwest China. We find that information increases the likelihood that students receive some types of financial aid. Information also positively affects the choice to attend college but does not seem to affect more specific college choices.

Keywords: Education, financial aid, information, cluster-RCT

JEL Classification: I22, 015

Suggested Citation

Loyalka, Prashant and Song, Yingquan and Wei, Jianguo and Zhong, Weiping and Rozelle, Scott, Information, College Decisions and Financial Aid: Evidence from a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in China (October 1, 2012). Economics of Education Review, Vol. 36, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2293329

Prashant Loyalka (Contact Author)

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Yingquan Song

Peking University ( email )

No. 38 Xueyuan Road
Haidian District
Beijing, Beijing 100871
China

Jianguo Wei

Peking University ( email )

No. 38 Xueyuan Road
Haidian District
Beijing, Beijing 100871
China

Weiping Zhong

Peking University ( email )

No. 38 Xueyuan Road
Haidian District
Beijing, Beijing 100871
China

Scott Rozelle

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

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