Bogyung Kim

Does college financial aid generate benefits beyond the direct recipient? This paper investigates the intra-household spillover effects of Georgia’s HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship on the postsecondary enrollment of younger siblings. Using student-level administrative records from a school district linked to the National Student Clearinghouse data, I employ a regression discontinuity design centered on each scholarship’s GPA eligibility thresholds. I contribute the evidence of financial aid spillovers on nonrecipients’ college enrollment and extend the literature on sibling spillovers by showing how reducing the cost of college for one child can shape the younger sibling’s college decisions.

This paper estimates the effects of Georgia’s two merit-based aid programs, the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships, on college enrollment, persistence, and degree completion. Using a regression discontinuity design at each scholarship's GPA thresholds and linking high school records to the National Student Clearinghouse data, I find that HOPE eligibility increases enrollment, early persistence, and degree attainment, with positive enrollment effects concentrated among low-income students. Zell primarily shifts students toward in-state public institutions, despite offering only slightly more aid than HOPE, but it does not affect degree completion. Overall, HOPE generates substantial welfare gains for marginal students, highlighting positive returns for the State of Georgia that are not observed for Zell.

with Yu-Ting Huang

This study examines the impact of state-mandated full-day kindergarten (FDK) expansion on child maltreatment using NCANDS child-level data, SID hospitalization records, and NVSS mortality data. Exploiting staggered policy adoption with advanced difference-in-differences methods, we find that FDK increases physical abuse reports by 3.5 per 1,000 children (36% relative to the baseline). The absence of effects on fatalities suggests improved detection rather than increased incidence. Consistent with this, educator-filed reports rise by about 30 percent, with additional increases from parents and neighbors, indicating enhanced awareness and reporting. Overall, the findings highlight the role of early childhood education in strengthening child safety environments.

TBD

This study examines the impacts of non-structural student mobility on academic outcomes in Georgia public schools. Using longitudinal administrative data covering three 9th-grade cohorts from kindergarten through high school, we analyze midyear and nonstructural summer school moves, distinguishing by timing, type, and student socioeconomic background.