Monday, November 26, 2012

Teaching students about the benefits of post secondary education


Information and College Access: Evidence from a Randomized Field
Experiment


High school students from disadvantaged high schools in Toronto were
invited to take two surveys, about three weeks apart. Half of the
students taking the first survey were also shown a 3 minute video
about the benefits of post secondary education (PSE) and invited to
try out a financial-aid calculator. Most students' perceived returns
to PSE were high, even among those not expecting to continue. Those
exposed to the video, especially those initially unsure about their
own educational attainment, reported significantly higher expected
returns, lower concerns about costs, and expressed greater likelihood
of PSE attainment.

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