Abstract
Administrative burden, or the frictions individuals experience in accessing public programs, has implications for whether and which eligible individuals receive aid. While prior research documents barriers to accessing federal financial aid, less is known about the extent to which state aid programs impose administrative burden, how administrative burden varies across aid programs, or how administrative burden relates to target populations. This study examines administrative burden in 23 state aid programs in Tennessee. We find programs targeting less-advantaged students (technical and community college students) had lower burdens than programs where aid could be used in the four-year sector or across sectors. The state’s only program explicitly targeting racially minoritized students had a significantly higher burden than other aid programs. Programs targeting more-advantaged students (merit-aid programs, students at four-year colleges and universities) had similar burdens relative to other programs. We discuss implications for designing more equitable and effective state aid programs.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to state officials at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Student Assistance Commission for their assistance in clarifying information about state aid programs. We are also grateful for early feedback and suggestions on this project from Denisa Gándara. Any errors or omissions are our own.
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https://doi.org/10.13039/100000865. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr.Kelly Rosinger
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Everett, A., Rosinger, K., Baker, D.J. et al. Tennessee’s Burden: How Students Apply for State Financial Aid within One Southern State. Res High Educ 65, 1826–1852 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-024-09793-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-024-09793-8