Financial Aid and First-Year Collegiate GPA: A Regression Discontinuity Approach

Using a regression discontinuity design, we investigate whether a merit-based financial aid program has a causal effect on the first-year grade point average of first-time out-of-state freshmen at the University of Oregon. Our results indicate that merit-based financial aid has a positive and significant effect on first-year collegiate grade point average. Further, we find that this positive relationship between financial aid and grade point average exists for both low-income students and students of color.