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ERIC Number: EJ1460675
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0742-5627
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1758
Available Date: 2024-07-15
Learning about Tuition-Free College: Evaluating the Availability and Digital Accessibility of Information on Promise Program Websites
Denisa Gándara1; Rosa Maria Acevedo1; Diana Cervantes1; Marco Antonio Quiroz2; Isabel McMullen3; Tarini Kumar4
Innovative Higher Education, v50 n1 p155-180 2025
Substantial shares of eligible students forgo or lose access to tuition-free college benefits, in part due to limited access to information on eligibility and other requirements. Given students' dependence on the Internet for information on how to pay for college, we examine the availability and digital accessibility of critical program information on websites for the population of statewide tuition-free (Promise) programs (N = 39). To this end, we use an original dataset on Promise program websites and descriptive quantitative analyses. Drawing on the framework of administrative burdens from public administration, this study sheds light on potential informational barriers (learning costs) students may face in accessing Promise programs benefits. Findings indicate that Promise program websites prominently feature the benefits and requirements for initial eligibility. In contrast, certain eligibility criteria, information on deadlines, and renewal requirements are not readily available. We find limited options for students to contact program representatives and large variability across websites, signaling that programs could learn from others to reduce learning costs for students by providing more accessible information on official program websites.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link-springer-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: P2CHD042849
Author Affiliations: 1The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, Austin, USA; 2Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA; 3University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Political Science, Madison, USA; 4The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Development, Austin, USA