Paralysis by analysis? Effects of information on student loan take-up

B-Tier
Journal: Economics of Education Review
Year: 2020
Volume: 77
Issue: C

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Can relevant information influence student borrowing? In a field experiment with a large community college, we send emails about federal student loans to students who have received financial aid offers but have not made a borrowing decision. A treatment reminding students that they need not borrow the maximum amount of available loan aid has no effect. Treatments referencing amounts borrowed by recent graduates shift students from borrowing the maximum amount to not borrowing. Consistent with the hypothesis that students experience cognitive overload when presented with multiple loan amounts, the response is largest among low-performing students and arises from inaction.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecoedu:v:77:y:2020:i:c:s0272775720301515
Journal Field
Education
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26