Causal Research to Improve Outcomes for Part-Time Students
Arnold Ventures
Who can apply
POPULATION OF INTEREST Because enrollment intensity is fluid, proposals do not need to limit eligibility to students who are enrolled part-time at baseline.. • What is the causal impact of interventions that increase take-up of existing public benefits (e.g., SNAP, childcare subsidies), including approaches such as streamlined eligibility, data-sharing, or embedded application support?. • Which policy design features (e.g., eligibility criteria, benefit levels, delivery mechanisms) most influence effectiveness, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of these interventions?
About this opportunity
Students who enroll part-time represent a substantial share of the undergraduate population, yet their outcomes lag far behind those of full-time students. Students who begin college part-time persist and complete credentials at much lower rates and are disproportionately likely to be working adults, student parents, caregivers, older learners, and students from historically underserved backgrounds. Enrollment intensity is fluid, but for many students, part-time enrollment reflects structural constraints related to work, caregiving, finances, and institutional design rather than a short-term choice. As a result, a substantial share of students cannot enroll full-time, even when doing so would improve their likelihood of completion. Over the past decade, rigorous evidence has demonstrated t...