Price Regulation. Price Discrimination. and Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education: Evidence from Texas

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Andrews, Rodney J.; Stange, Kevin M.
• 署名单位: University of Texas System; University of Texas Dallas; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.20170306
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 31-65
• 关键词: college quality; financial-aid; tuition; enrollment; university; admission; earnings; access; IMPACT

摘要

We assess the importance of price regulation and price discrimination to low-income students' access to opportunities in public higher education. In 2003, Texas shifted tuition-setting authority away from the state legislature to public universities themselves. In response, most institutions raised sticker prices and many began charging more for high-earning majors, such as business and engineering. We find that poor students actually shifted toward higher earning programs following deregulation, relative to non-poor students. Deregulation facilitated more price discrimination through increased grant aid and enabled supply-side enhancements, which may have partially shielded poor students from higher sticker prices.