Need-Based Financial Aid in Wisconsin: State Policy and Student Pathways. Research Report. RR-3057-GLHEC

Making college accessible to all includes making it affordable to lower-income families. A growing policy strategy at the state level is to provide individual students with need-based financial aid to offset tuition and living expenses. This strategy inherently presents challenges in choosing which income levels are eligible to receive aid, identifying the eligible population, and delivering aid at a time and in an amount that will meaningfully support college attainment. In partnership with the state of Wisconsin, RAND Corporation researchers created and analyzed a new database connecting state grant aid applications to the educational attainment of applicants. This report is a case-based effort to shed light on how well state aid policies are doing at closing attainment gaps between students from low- and higher-income backgrounds. It focuses on the successes, challenges, and opportunities for the state of Wisconsin and its flagship aid program, the Wisconsin Grant. This report examines three areas: the "design" of effective aid policies and processes, "program implementation" under time and budget constraints, and the "building of evidence" on aid program effectiveness. The findings related to the Wisconsin case can inform the state on how to build on successes and mediate challenges related to state student aid going forward. The findings also offer insight to other states wanting to better design, implement, and build evidence for their state student aid programs.