Scholarship Awards, College Choice, and Student Engagement in College Activities: A Study of High-Achieving Low-Income Students of Color

Using two-wave survey data on the 2001 cohort of the Gates Millennium Scholarship (GMS) recipients and comparison nonrecipients, this study examines the relationship between scholarship awards and student engagement in college activities. The results indicate that scholarship awards such as GMS directly affect student college choice decisions. Receiving GMS awards increased the probability of attending private, 4-year colleges and decreased the probability of attending 2-year colleges. Such college choice decisions promoted student engagement in academic and social activities in college. The relationships among scholarship awards, college choice, and student engagement illustrated in this study have strong implications for educational policy and research.