Experimental Sites Initiative Pell eligibility pilots¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Two experimental expansions to Pell Grant eligibility piloted between 2012 and 2017 to aid recovery from the Great Recession. Certain Pell rules were waived for "the 46 schools that volunteered and were approved to participate, mostly public two-year colleges," and "the 2,700 students the schools identified as eligible" were randomly assigned to be offered or not offered experimental Pell funds, with outcomes compared 10 to 30 months later.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Participants had to meet Pell income criteria, be un- or underemployed, and intend to enroll in a short occupational program leading to a certificate or credential aligned with local or regional workforce needs.

Constraints¶

• Only volunteer, approved schools participated, mostly public two-year colleges; the pilots ran between 2012 and 2017.

Target Learners¶

• Low-income un- or underemployed adults seeking short occupational credentials

Target Learning Goals¶

• Enrollment in and completion of short-term occupational certificate or credential programs

Claims¶

• Expanding Pell Grant eligibility cost on average about $1,800 per student, and labor-market returns relative to cost remain open questions [~W]
• Offering experimental Pell Grants for short occupational programs to low-income students who already hold a bachelor's degree increased program enrollment and completion by about 20 percentage points [+M]
• Offering experimental Pell Grants for very short-term occupational training programs increased program enrollment and completion by about 10 percentage points [+M]

Related Elements¶

Examples¶

• Expand Pell Grant eligibility to short occupational programs as a strategy for helping displaced workers and low-income adults earn credentials quickly

Key Sources¶

• Jaime Thomas, Naihobe Gonzalez, Nora Paxton, Andrew Wiegand, Leela Hebbar. (2020). The Effects of Expanding Pell Grant Eligibility for Short Occupational Training Programs: Results from the Experimental Sites Initiative. NCEE 2021–001. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/2021001/