Higher education

Low-cost, evidence-based program changes to improve the experiences of postsecondary students

Background

The federal financial aid system plays a key role in expanding postsecondary access and affordability for students struggling to pay for college. However, many students that could benefit most from Federal financial aid struggle to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), leaving an estimated $2.6 billion in federal student aid on the table each year. Moreover, with 1.4 trillion in student loan debt, and almost half of students in default, forbearance, or delinquency, the Department of Education has made improving the customer experience of federal financial aid a priority.

Portfolio

In collaboration with a variety of federal agencies including the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of Veterans Affairs, OES has built a portfolio of evidence on the impact of low-cost interventions that are designed to improve FAFSA completion, postsecondary access and success, and student loan repayment.

Investigating the scope and implications of return to Title IV

Analysis Plan Registration

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Increasing take-up of the American Opportunity Tax Credit

A series of emails and a letter increased take-up

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Evaluating the effects of HEERF Aid to students

A regression-discontinuity design to estimate the effects of emergency aid on student academic outcomes

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Project SOAR

Education navigation program did not change FAFSA completion

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Using proactive communication to increase college enrollment for post-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries

A general proactive email encouraging increased postsecondary enrollment influenced the enrollment intensity of Post-9/11 GI Bill users

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Increasing FAFSA Completion among public housing residents - Seattle and King County

A pair of communications do not change FAFSA completion rates

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Increasing FAFSA renewal rates

Reminder emails sent to current students led to an increase of approximately 250,000 FAFSA submissions

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Encouraging action among students at risk to withdraw

Reminding students to reapply for financial aid or begin loan repayment decreased postsecondary enrollment by 1 percentage point

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Increasing FAFSAcompletion by HUD-assisted youth

Sending letters to HUD-assisted youth had no significant effect on FAFSA completion rates

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Increasing student loan rehabilitation rates for defaulted borrowers

Emphasizing the negative consequences of loan default increases entry into loan rehabilitation programs

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Increasing IDR re-certification among student borrowers

Including required payment amount increased IDR recertification by 8.4%

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Increasing IDR applications among eligible student loan borrowers - scale up

Email scale-up resulted in more than 6,000 borrowers signing up for income driven repayment plans

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Increasing IDR applications among eligible student loan borrowers through targeted messages

Emails increase application submissions for income driven repayment plans

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Increasing access to PSLF Benefits among eligible population

Emails increased Public Service Loan Forgiveness form submissions three-fold without increasing the error rate

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Reducing summer melt

Eight personalized text messages to low-income students resulted in a 6% increase in college enrollment

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Increasing post-grace period loan payments by student borrowers

Emails sent to student loan borrowers at risk of default increased payments

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Increasing IDR applications among delinquent student borrowers

Sending emails to delinquent borrowers positively impacted IDR application completion

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