TY - JOUR
T1 - Can information change preferences for higher education? Evidence from a randomised experiment in Colombia
AU - Bernal, Gloria L.
AU - Abadia, Luz K.
AU - Arango, Sergio
AU - De Witte, Kristof
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - In the present study, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to investigate the impact of providing information on students’ higher education preferences. These preferences were elicited using a discrete choice experiment. The study included 2652 10th-grade low-income Colombian students, all of whom intended to pursue tertiary education. The findings indicate that students who received basic information about higher education, with a focus on financial aid and tuition costs, exhibited an increased preference for higher-quality institutions and a decreased preference for public institutions. Furthermore, changes in preferences were observed, particularly among females and individuals from the most vulnerable backgrounds. A follow-up was also conducted on the actual choices made by the surveyed individuals, which were documented in administrative records. Despite the limited statistical power, given that only 29.7% of the surveyed individuals ultimately enrolled in higher education, it was found that these actual choices were indeed related to the preferences that had been elicited.
AB - In the present study, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to investigate the impact of providing information on students’ higher education preferences. These preferences were elicited using a discrete choice experiment. The study included 2652 10th-grade low-income Colombian students, all of whom intended to pursue tertiary education. The findings indicate that students who received basic information about higher education, with a focus on financial aid and tuition costs, exhibited an increased preference for higher-quality institutions and a decreased preference for public institutions. Furthermore, changes in preferences were observed, particularly among females and individuals from the most vulnerable backgrounds. A follow-up was also conducted on the actual choices made by the surveyed individuals, which were documented in administrative records. Despite the limited statistical power, given that only 29.7% of the surveyed individuals ultimately enrolled in higher education, it was found that these actual choices were indeed related to the preferences that had been elicited.
KW - College financial aid
KW - Demand for higher education
KW - Discrete choice experiment
KW - Higher education preferences
KW - Provision of information
KW - Students’ choices
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85198354243&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102417
DO - 10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102417
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85198354243
SN - 0883-0355
VL - 127
JO - International Journal of Educational Research
JF - International Journal of Educational Research
M1 - 102417
ER -