Financial Aid Packages and College Enrollment Decisions: An Econometric Case Study

We study the effects of a change in financial aid policy introduced by a Northeastern university in 1998. Prior to that time, the university's financial aid packages for low-income students consisted of grants, loans, and campus jobs. After the change, the entire loan portion of the package for low-income students was replaced with grants. We find the program increased the likelihood of matriculation by low-income students by about 3 percentage points, although the effect is not statistically significant. The effect among low-income minority students was between 8 and 10 percentage points and statistically significant at the 10 percent level.

Financial Aid Packages and College Enrollment Decisions: An Econometric Case Study

We study the effects of a change in financial aid policy introduced by a Northeastern university in 1998. Prior to that time, the university’s financial aid packages for low income students consisted of grants, loans, and campus jobs. After the change, the entire loan portion of the package for low income was replaced by grants. We find the program increased the likelihood of matriculation by low income students by three percentage points, although the effect is not statistically significant. The effect among low income minority students was about twice that size and statistically significant at the ten percent level.

Do Retiree Health Benefits Cause Early Retirement?

I examine whether the availability of early retiree health benefits increases the likelihood of early retirement. Although there is a positive association between the availability of retiree health benefits and early retirement, this association could be driven by other factors that are correlated with retiree health benefits and affect retirement decisions. I build a simple model to show that individuals in poor health and with poor outside insurance options value retiree health benefits more. I then use variation in health status and outside insurance options to examine, within a difference-in-differences framework, whether the estimated correlation between retiree health benefits and early retirement reflects demand for health insurance. My results indicate that the effect of retiree health benefits is not statistically significantly larger for those in poor health, but that it is larger for those who lack insurance from other sources, particularly from their spouses. I conclude that retiree health benefits do increase the hazard of early retirement and that demand for health insurance among the near-elderly is not closely tied to health status.

Financial Aid Packages and College Enrollment Decisions: An Econometric Case Study

We study the effects of a change in financial aid policy introduced by a Northeastern university in 1998. Prior to that time, the university s financial aid packages for lowincome students consisted of grants, loans, and campus jobs. After the change, the entire loan portion of the package for low-income students was replaced with grants. We find the program increased the likelihood of matriculation by low-income students by about 3 percentage points, although the effect is not statistically significant. The effect among low-income minority students was about twice that size and statistically significant at the 10 percent level

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Financial Aid Packages and College Enrollment Decisions: An Econometric Case Study

We study the effects of a change in financial aid policy introduced by an anonymous university in 1998. Prior to that time, the university's financial aid packages for low-income students consisted of grants, loans, and campus jobs. After the change, the entire loan portion of the package for low-income students was replaced with grants. We find the program increased the likelihood of matriculation by low-income students by approximately 3 percentage points, although the effect is not statistically significant. The effect among low-income minority students was between 8 and 10 percentage points and statistically significant at the 10% level. © 2006 The President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Working Paper 459

We study the effects of a change in financial aid policy introduced by a Northeastern university in 1998. Prior to that time, the universitys financial aid packages for lowincome students consisted of grants, loans, and campus jobs. After the change, the entire loan portion of the package for low-income students was replaced with grants. We find the program increased the likelihood of matriculation by low-income students by about 3 percentage points, although the effect is not statistically significant. The effect among low-income minority students was about twice that size and statistically significant at the 10 percent level