Conference Program

In Italy, student grants represent the principal policy mechanism for removing financial barriers to higher education among students from low-income backgrounds. However, insufficient information among potential beneficiaries substantially limits their effectiveness. Previous analyses conducted by IRES Piemonte using administrative data revealed that a considerable proportion of first-time tertiary education entrants at universities in Piedmont do not apply for student grants, despite meeting the eligibility criteria.

The phenomenon of eligible students failing to apply for financial aid is not unique to Italy, although its magnitude and underlying determinants vary across national contexts. In the United States, students report several reasons for not completing the FAFSA, including the perception that they are not eligible or do not need aid, reluctance to incur debt, the perceived complexity of the application process, and limited knowledge about how to apply (Ifill, 2016). In Germany, misconceptions about eligibility and debt aversion - often linked to overestimating repayment obligations - emerge as key barriers (Riedmiller and Strobl, 2025). Additional obstacles include administrative complexity and co-residence with one’s family (Herber and Kalinowski, 2016).

Against this backdrop, our study, conducted on a sample of 6,500 randomly selected high school seniors in Piedmont during the 2022/23 school year, identified a substantial information gap regarding university grants. Most students interviewed lacked basic knowledge about application procedures, eligibility requirements, and even the identity of the grant provider - only 9% were able to correctly identify EDISU Piemonte as the awarding body. We also observed a significant correlation between knowledge of grants and individual characteristics, including gender, grade point average, school track, family background, and participation in guidance activities.

Building on these findings, we implemented a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the causal impact of increasing awareness of financial aid on students’ intentions to enroll in higher education and to apply for grants. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute information session covering eligibility criteria, application procedures, and award amounts. Results indicate that even this relatively modest intervention generated a positive and statistically significant effect on both university enrollment and the probability of submitting a grant application. The effects were particularly pronounced among students who reported economic uncertainty as a factor in their educational decision-making.

Within the Italian context, this study contributes to a relatively underexplored field. Although a related RCT has been conducted (Abbiati et al., 2017), that study was based on partially different research questions and a more complex intervention design. Internationally, the literature is more extensive and predominantly US-based. Herbaut and Geven (2020) provide a comprehensive review of more than twenty RCTs conducted across different countries to estimate the impact of information and guidance interventions on university enrollment. Their findings underscore the need for additional evidence across diverse national contexts, given the heterogeneity of results.

By examining the role of information in post-secondary educational choices, this study contributes to the debate on higher education access. Importantly, it also carries policy implications: timely and targeted dissemination of financial aid information may represent a lever to increase university participation in Italy.