Overview

In 2019 the Washington College Grant was created as part of the state’s effort to address persistent inequalities in postsecondary access for high school graduates from low-income backgrounds. This policy, administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), provides automatic financial aid for all Washington State students who complete a federal application for financial aid, have a qualifying family income level, and attend an approved postsecondary institution in the state.

This three-year study has multiple goals: to provide the state with insight into the implementation of the program, report on how students are using it, estimate effects on students’ postsecondary outcomes associated with the program, and build WSAC’s ability to conduct informative, continuing analyses of data from its state longitudinal data system. The project is not intended to be a “one-off” research effort, but, rather, will provide a template for sustainable data use to inform future Washington State programs. The study can also serve as an example for other states of how to draw on their own data to assess their programs’ ongoing performance.