The Center for Urban Research and Education’s (CURE) Seminar Series will begin its fall season on Friday, September 14, with a presentation by Eileen Divringi, Community Development Research Associate, and Kyle DeMaria, Community Development Research Analyst, of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.  The presentation is titled “How Does Last-Dollar Financial Aid Affect First-Year Student Outcomes? Evidence from the Bridging the Gap Study.”  

The event will take place on Friday, September 14 at 12:15 p.m. in Armitage Hall’s Faculty Lounge.  Lunch will be served.  All are welcome to this free event. 

Questions may be directed to Dr. Natasha Fletcher, Associate Director of CURE.

The abstract of the talk is as follows:

“In the fall of 2015, Rutgers–Camden announced plans to implement a last-dollar financial aid program called Bridging the Gap that would eliminate or substantially reduce the cost of tuition and certain fees for in-state students from lower- and middle-income families. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is engaged in a multiyear, mixed-methods evaluation of Bridging the Gap to assess its impacts on student success and financial wellbeing. Early results suggest positive impacts on enrollment among lower-income students, although it is unclear whether observed improvements in academic performance are attributable to the program. Interviews with participants suggest the program improved affordability and reduced financial stress but illuminate challenges with the financial aid process and maintaining eligibility.”