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Meeting the Access Challenge: An Examination of Indiana's Twenty-First Century Scholars Program

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Abstract

Early intervention programs can promote access by providing encouragement for academic preparation, but adequate grant aid may be necessary to ensure access for students who prepare. This study examines the impact of Indiana's Twenty-first Century Scholars Program, an intervention that provides supplemental grant aid and academic support for low-income middle and high school students. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that 8th grade students who participated in the program were more likely to apply than their peers, indicating that encouragement had a modest influence on preparation. Receiving grant aid had a substantial influence on enrollment, indicating adequate aid is an important aspect of a comprehensive postsecondary encouragement program.

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St. John, E.P., Musoba, G.D., Simmons, A. et al. Meeting the Access Challenge: An Examination of Indiana's Twenty-First Century Scholars Program. Research in Higher Education 45, 829–871 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-004-5951-1

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