Start to Finish: Examining the Impact of the El Dorado Promise on Postsecondary Outcomes

42 Pages Posted: 2 Apr 2018

See all articles by Elise Swanson

Elise Swanson

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform

Gary Ritter

Saint Louis University School of Education

Date Written: March 30, 2018

Abstract

The El Dorado Promise is a universal “first dollar” Promise program that guarantees a full tuition scholarship to all students who attend the El Dorado School District from grades K-12, and a partial scholarship for those who enroll in for at least 9th-12th grade. While prior research on Promise Programs has found that Promise scholarships increase postsecondary matriculation, few studies have examined the impact of a Promise scholarship on college completion or the differential impact of a Promise scholarship on college completion by student characteristics. We use a difference-in-differences strategy to examine the impact of the El Dorado Promise on college enrollment, AA completion, and BA completion on average and by student subgroup (students of color, white students, students with above-average GPAs, and students with below-average GPAs). We find that overall the Promise was associated with an 11.4 percentage point increase in postsecondary enrollment, no change in AA completion, and a 10.7 percentage point increase in BA completion. Students of color and students with below-average GPAs saw the biggest gains in college enrollment, while students of color and students with above-average GPAs saw the biggest gains in BA completion. These results indicate that Promise programs operating in rural areas can have a positive and significant impact on postsecondary outcomes for students, particularly students traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary institutions.

Keywords: Promise Programs, postsecondary outcomes, difference-in-differences

Suggested Citation

Swanson, Elise and Ritter, Gary, Start to Finish: Examining the Impact of the El Dorado Promise on Postsecondary Outcomes (March 30, 2018). EDRE Working Paper No. 2018-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3153153 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3153153

Elise Swanson (Contact Author)

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform ( email )

201 Graduate Education Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Gary Ritter

Saint Louis University School of Education ( email )

220 North Grand Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63103
United States
314-977-3290 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.slu.edu/education/faculty/gary-ritter.php

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