Separating the Structural and Composition Impacts of Financial Aid on the Choice of Major by Christian Belzil

Join us for this week's Econometrics Research Seminar, Summer Term 2025

Christian Belzil, from the CREST-Ecole Polytechnique will present this week's seminar on Separating the Structural and Composition Impacts of Financial Aid on the Choice of Major.

Abstract

Using the unique design of a field experiment among Canadian high school students combined with early life-cycle data collected 10 years later, we estimate the impacts of financial aid provided as grants on the distribution of university majors. We find that financial aid raises net university enrollment and graduation rates but attracts marginal entrants with lower STEM enrollment probabilities than the population enrolling under the status quo (the composition effect). Among the latter population, financial aid also reduces STEM enrollment and graduation probabilities (the structural effect). Our results thereby reveal potential unintended consequences of financial aid on students’ educational outcomes.

This seminar will be held on campus, is open to all levels of study and is also open to the public. To register your place and gain access to the webinar, please contact the seminar organisers.

This event is part of the Econometrics Research Seminar Series.