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Customized Nudging to Improve FAFSA Completion and Income Verification

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Intervention Details

Subject

Non-Academic Area

Academic Programs

College Preparatory, General Education

Duration

January 2015 to late April 2015

Grade

12

Personnel

School Counselor

Intervention Summary

A text message intervention that leverages regularly updated administrative data to provide students with personalized, data-informed updates on their FAFSA submission and completion status; encouragement to make use of school and community supports available for FAFSA filing; and the ability to write back for one-on-one, text-based assistance with FAFSA.

Statistical Finding Summary

Positive effect on FAFSA submission and completion rates

Positive effect on timely college enrollment, especially within 4-year institutions

Positive effect on FAFSA submission and completion rates by the end of the intervention period

Positive effect on FAFSA submission and completion rates by late summer

No effect on enrollment in 2-year institutions

Positive effect on enrollment in 4-year institutions

No effect on FAFSA verification

No effect on FAFSA verification by school-level treatment status

Source

C. Page, L., L. Castleman, B. & Meyer, K. (2020). Customized Nudging to Improve FAFSA Completion and Income Verification (EJ1244835). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1244835.pdf.

Data Sample by Population

These charts show the characteristics of the student populations studied. When assessing programs, you may want to prioritize interventions that yielded success in a similar demographic environment as your school or district.