Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Garrett County Scholarship Program (GCSP) on graduation rates. This profile focuses on the matched comparison group analyses. The author investigated a similar research question for another contrast, the profile can be found here.
- The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of GCSP recipients to a matched comparison group of non-recipients. Using administrative data from Garrett College, the author conducted statistical models to compare differences in outcomes between the groups.
- The study found a significant relationship between the GCSP and an increased likelihood of graduation from Garrett College.
- This study receives a low evidence rating. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Garrett County Scholarship Program (GCSP); other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Garrett County Scholarship Program
Features of the Intervention
Promise scholarships are designed to address the issues of college affordability and barriers posed by student debt in higher education. Garrett County, Maryland began implementing the promise scholarship model in 2006. The Garrett County Scholarship Program (GCSP) guarantees that high school graduates who enroll in the county’s community college (Garrett College) within two years of graduation will receive scholarships to cover tuition and fees. The GCSP not only increases educational access for youth but also focuses on upskilling the local workforce and retaining talent within the county.
Features of the Study
The study used a matched comparison group design to examine the impact of the GCSP on graduation rates. The study sample included first-time, full-time students at Garrett College who entered between 2016 and 2019. The treatment group received a scholarship through the GCSP, while the comparison group did not. The study sample included 304 students after matching the groups on demographic and education characteristics. The sample was primarily White, with an average age of 18 years, and most were not eligible for a Pell Grant. The author used administrative data from Garrett College and statistical models with weights to compare differences in graduation rates between the groups.
Findings
Education and skills gains
The study found a significant relationship between the GCSP and graduation rates, with GCSP recipients having a higher likelihood of graduation from Garrett College than non-recipients.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The author matched the treatment and comparison groups on age, race, Pell Grant eligibility, and whether developmental coursework was required, as well as used weights in the statistical models to control for the significant differences between the groups. However, the author did not match on gender or control for it in the statistical models as required by CLEAR. These preexisting differences between the groups—and not the GCSP—could explain the observed differences in outcomes. Therefore, the study is not eligible for a moderate causal evidence rating, the highest rating available for nonexperimental designs.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Garrett County Scholarship Program; other factors are likely to have contributed.