Testing the Promise: A Randomized Trial of a Promise College Scholarship for Urban Public School Students

This project evaluates a college scholarship "Promise" program for first-time 9th grade students who started in the Milwaukee Public Schools in the fall of 2011.

Funded by Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation in partnership with MPS, this project evaluates the effects of the first randomized "promise" college scholarship program in the U.S. MPS students who meet program eligibility requirements (graduating on time with a 2.5 cumulative GPA and 90% attendance or better) are able to receive up to $12,000 grants to attend either a two-year or four-year college. The evaluation component of the grant, conducted by WCER in conjunction with Tulane University, uses a paired randomization design to test the program's effects.