Dr. Sandy Baum & Robert Shireman (Student Financial Aid)

Student Financial Aid: Advancing Evidence Based Policy Reform

A research project supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Investigators: Dr. Sandy Baum, GSEHD Senior Fellow; Robert Shireman, Director of California Competes and former U.S. deputy undersecretary of education

This project was designed to improve communication between the financial aid research community and other constituencies about effective student aid policies. The ultimate goal is to increase support for student aid policies that promotes college success. With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sandy Baum, Bob Shireman, and Patricia Steele convened three meetings of researchers with financial aid professionals, state policymakers, and Washington, D.C. policy analysts and advocates to discuss the role of incentives in student aid programs and the evidence available to evaluate that role. In addition to discussions of research evidence and participant views, the project collected responses to a survey asking about financial aid policy preferences.

Project Findings