The effect of Florida's Bright Futures program on college enrollment and degree production: An aggregated-level analysis

L Zhang, S Hu, V Sensenig - Research in Higher Education, 2013 - Springer
L Zhang, S Hu, V Sensenig
Research in Higher Education, 2013Springer
In this study, we investigate the impact of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program on college
enrollment and degree production in Florida by using IPEDS enrollment, migration, and
completion data. Results suggest large and significant enrollment effects at Florida's public 4-
and 2-year institutions, for both full-time and part-time enrollment. This large growth is at
least in part due to reduced out-migration of Florida's resident students attending out-of-state
institutions. Thus the net effect is lower than the enrollment growth in Florida. Finally, our …
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the impact of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program on college enrollment and degree production in Florida by using IPEDS enrollment, migration, and completion data. Results suggest large and significant enrollment effects at Florida’s public 4- and 2-year institutions, for both full-time and part-time enrollment. This large growth is at least in part due to reduced out-migration of Florida’s resident students attending out-of-state institutions. Thus the net effect is lower than the enrollment growth in Florida. Finally, our results indicate that the effect of Bright Futures on degree production is lower than that on enrollment. This aggregated-level analysis provides an important baseline for our future research on the effect of Bright Futures on students’ college attendance, choice, financial aid renewal, persistence, and graduation by using detailed individual-level data.
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