Scholarships against dropout in higher education? An evaluation of the UFC's welcoming and retention program

Becas universitarias contra la deserción en la educación superior? Una evaluación del programa de bienvenida y retención de la UFC

The present study assessed the effect of university scholarships on student enrollment cancellation, as a proxy for dropout, in the University of Fortaleza's Welcome and Retention Incentive Program (PAIP). To do so, the propensity score matching method was employed, using students who applied for PAIP but were not awarded scholarships as the control group. The results showed that the program reduced the enrollment cancellation rate by approximately 3.8%. In a supplementary analysis, no significant differences were found between PAIP and other scholarship programs at the University of Fortaleza, suggesting that the obtained results may be applicable to other programs. Furthermore, an economic viability analysis of the program was conducted, revealing a cost-benefit ratio of R$ 3.01, meaning that for every real invested in the program, there was an average social return of R$ 3.01. The evidence suggests that PAIP is not only effective but also has a favorable cost-return relationship.

Key words:
scholarships; evasion; higher education