H&R Block College Financial Aid Application Assistance (Research Study)

"In the H&R Block College Financial Aid Assistance trial, families that had just completed their taxes in the H&R Block office were screened by computer software to identify those with incomes less than $45,000 per year, and a family member at or near college age without a bachelors degree (the targeted participants). If the targeted participant was interested in learning more about college and/or participating in the study, he or she provided verbal informed consent, and then was randomly assigned to" a FAFSA treatment group or a control group (p.2).

"As delivered in the study, this intervention cost approximately $90 per program participant, in 2012 dollars. It also increased federal financial aid payments by an average of $375 per participant..." (p.1). (Abstractor: Author)

The treatment group experienced "a sizable increase in college attendance and persistence over the 3½-4 years following the intervention – e.g., 29% greater likelihood of attending college for two consecutive years" (p.1). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2011
• Author(s): Bettinger, Eric P.; Long, Bridget Terry; Oreopoulos, Philip; Sanbonmatsu, Lisa
• Funding Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, Kauffman Foundation, Spencer Foundation, MacArthur Foundation
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies