Study of College Transition Messaging in GEAR UP: Impacts on Enrolling and Staying in College

Text-message-based college advising is a popular low-cost strategy to get students timely information and support. This report presents results from a rigorous, random assignment evaluation with about 4,800 college-intending seniors in high-need high schools participating in the federal college access program Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). The evaluation found that students sent text messages customized to their college and interactive advice were no more likely to enroll or persist in college than were students who were not sent messages. The messages also did not affect whether students completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

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