Connecting research, policy, and practice in postsecondary education.
The Research for Postsecondary Policy and Practice Initiative is dedicated to research across all stages of postsecondary education and training, including access, persistence, completion, and transition to the workforce. We examine college transition processes, financial aid, and strategies to provide proactive, sustained support to students. By exploring these and other critical areas, we identify effective strategies, inform best practices, and advance equity in postsecondary education and training.
We conduct actionable research. We work in partnership with educators, administrators, policymakers, and researchers to investigate policies and practices that break down barriers and expand opportunities for students to achieve their goals for postsecondary education and beyond.
Pittsburgh Promise: Long-term pecuniary and non-pecuniary effects of place-based financial aid
This project looks beyond impacts on initial college enrollment and early persistence to understand the impact of Pittsburgh Promise aid on college completion and longer-term outcomes, including labor force participation, earnings, and family formation.
Achieve Atlanta: Understanding the effect of place-based scholarships on postsecondary persistence and success
This project examines the impact of the Achieve Atlanta scholarship on college persistence and success outcomes. Capitalizing on student-level administrative records from the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia, this work includes an examination of the relationship between receiving Achieve Atlanta scholarship support and student outcomes such as loan borrowing and academic performance.
Student support strategies
SUCCESS: Implementation of comprehensive student supports at scale in Massachusetts community colleges
This project studies the implementation of SUCCESS, a statewide initiative that provides wraparound supports across all 15 community colleges in Massachusetts. It is conducted in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges and supported by funding from the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation and Brown University.
TEACH ME: Technology Enhanced Academic Communication to Help in Math and English
This project investigates the extent to which integrating personalized, course-specific chatbot communication into gateway postsecondary math and English courses can improve students’ academic performance, sense of belonging, retention, and completion at scale. The work is conducted in partnership with the National Institute for Student Success, Georgia State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Central Florida, with support from the U.S. Department of Education.
Innovations in proactive communication and support for STEM success: Implementation and impact of a course-specific text message chatbot in introductory undergraduate chemistry
This project evaluates whether and how integrating personalized, course-specific chatbot communication into an introductory chemistry course affects students’ course persistence, engagement, performance, and take-up of supplemental course supports. This work is conducted in partnership with the National Institute for Student Success and Georgia State University, with support from Ascendium Education Group.
Campus intentions and student experiences of university-sponsored chatbot communication
This project examines the implementation of centralized, campus-specific chatbot systems by four large, public universities within the same state system. It considers how universities plan and manage their chatbot communication systems, their goals for this communication, how students engage with this channel of communication with their institution, and how chatbot communication shapes students’ experiences and sense of belonging. This work is conducted with support from the College Futures Foundation.
Dynarski, S., Page, L. C., & Scott-Clayton, J. (2023). College costs, financial aid, and student decisions. In E.A. Hanushek, S. Machin, & L. Woessmann (Eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 7, 227-285). Elsevier.
Meyer, K., Nurshatayeva, A., Page, L., & Reber, S. (2025). Preparing Students for College Success. In D. Harris (Ed.), in Live Handbook of Education Policy Research. Association for Education Finance and Policy.
Meyer, K., Page, L.C., Mata, C., Smith, E.N., Walsh, B.T., Fifield, C.L., Tyson, M., Eremionkhale, A., Evans, M., Frost, S., & Jung, E.E. (2024). Let’s chat: Leveraging chatbot outreach for improved course performance. (EdWorkingPaper: 22-564). Annenberg Institute at Brown University.
