| Title: |
'Bureaucracy and Burden': Understanding Take-Up of a Need-Based Financial Aid Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1283 |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Elizabeth Burland; Jasmina Camo-Biogradlija; Kelcie Ferrara-Gerson; Xavier Fields; Katherine Michelmore; Nathan Sotherland; Kevin Stange; Marissa Thompson; Megan Tompkins-Stange; Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University |
| Source: |
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025. |
| Availability: |
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
52 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: |
R305A220070 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
Public Schools; High School Graduates; Paying for College; Educational Finance; Financial Needs; Need Analysis (Student Financial Aid); Student Financial Aid; State Aid; Grants; Tuition; Ability; Barriers; State Programs |
| Geographic Terms: |
Michigan |
| Abstract: |
Social welfare programs, including college financial aid, often only reach a fraction of eligible beneficiaries. We examine this problem through the lens of Michigan's Tuition Incentive Program (TIP), a state need-based grant aid program. We conduct a large-scale mixed-methods study using data on over one million Michigan public-school students, and 55 interviews with front-line administrators, high school counselors, and financial aid staff. We find that while one third of Michigan high school graduates are eligible for TIP, its take-up rate is only 14 percent, diminishing its impact on college affordability. We identify key barriers that shape take-up: the presence of administrative burdens, and constraints faced by front-line administrators in alleviating these burdens when administrative responsibility is fractured and ill-defined. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| IES Funded: |
Yes |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED678248 |
| Database: |
ERIC |