Student Responses to Merit Scholarship Retention Rules
利用佐治亚大学1989-1997年的学生记录，研究发现基于成绩的奖学金保留规则导致学生减少满负荷选课、增加退课，并显著增加暑期学分，影响集中在成绩边缘的学生。
A common justification for state-sponsored merit scholarships like Georgia’s HOPE program is to promote academic achievement. However, grade-based retention rules encourage other behavioral responses. Using longitudinal records of enrolled undergraduates at the University of Georgia between 1989 and 1997, we estimate the effects of HOPE on course-taking, treating nonresidents as a control group. First, we find that HOPE decreased full-load enrollments and increased course withdrawals among resident freshmen. Second, the scholarship’s influence on course-taking behavior is concentrated on students whose predicted freshmen GPAs place them on or below the scholarship-retention margin. Third, HOPE substantially increased summer school credits.