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Building dreams: The short-term impacts of a conditional cash transfer program on aspirations for higher education

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  • García, Sandra
  • Harker, Arturo
  • Cuartas, Jorge

Abstract

This paper analyses the short-term impacts of a large scale conditional cash transfer program on educational aspirations in poor households. Using data from the impact evaluation of the Colombian program Familias en Acción and a difference-in-differences approach, we find a positive impact on aspirations for higher education, for both children and parents. After more than one year of exposure, parents were 11 percentage points more likely to aspire for higher education for their children, and children were 20 percentage points more likely to aspire to higher education. The effect was larger for parents in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged households.

Suggested Citation

  • García, Sandra & Harker, Arturo & Cuartas, Jorge, 2019. "Building dreams: The short-term impacts of a conditional cash transfer program on aspirations for higher education," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 48-57.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:64:y:2019:i:c:p:48-57
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2018.12.006
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    Cited by:

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    2. Camilo, Karen & Zuluaga, Blanca, 2022. "The effects of conditional cash transfers on schooling and child labor of nonbeneficiary siblings," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Jeffrey R. Bloem, 2021. "Aspirations and investments in rural Myanmar," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(4), pages 727-752, December.
    4. Xuan Huo & Huawei Han & Qin Gao, 2023. "Does Welfare Participation Affect Adolescent Educational Aspiration? Evidence from Panel Data in China," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(3), pages 1171-1202, June.
    5. Patel-Campillo, Anouk & Salas García, V.B., 2022. "Breaking the poverty cycle? Conditional cash transfers and higher education attainment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115021, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Patel-Campillo, Anouk & García, V.B. Salas, 2022. "Breaking the poverty cycle? Conditional cash transfers and higher education attainment," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    7. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr & Heckelei, Thomas & Rasch, Sebastian, 2022. "Aspirations and Investments in Livestock: Evidence of an aspiration failure in Kenya," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322435, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Michelle Gonz'alez Amador & Robin Cowan & Eleonora Nillesen, 2022. "Peer Networks and Malleability of Educational Aspirations," Papers 2209.08340, arXiv.org.
    9. Malhi, Fareena Noor, 2020. "Unconditional Cash Transfers: Do They Impact Aspirations of the Poor?," MPRA Paper 102509, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Tabe-Ojong, Jr., Martin Paul & Godana, Guyo, 2022. "Are Agro-clusters Pro-Poor? Evidence from Ethiopia," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322432, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational aspirations; Conditional cash transfer; Education; Difference-in-differences; Latin America;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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