High Achieving Involved Leader (HAIL) program in the news

Submitted by MGoCali on December 11th, 2018 at 1:15 PM

Last year UM announced a plan to help high achieving, low income students gain more access to enrollment and hopefully matriculation by mailing a packet of information encouraging enrollment and highlighting an expanded tuition free-plan for low income students. By and large, this was not that big of a change from previous offerings as 90% of the students who would receive free tuition under HAIL would have received the same before; however, the explicit nature of HAIL made a real difference.

The Atlantic has a nice story about a new study of the positive effects. Enrollment doubled among low income candidates, and there was even a measurable effect for students who would not have applied anywhere without the nudge. 

Follow up work will measure the effects on of chosen major, graduation rates, and lifetime earnings in the long term. 

HAIL!

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/12/life-changing-effects-free-college/577831/

 

MGoBoard

MGoCali

December 11th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^

An addendum to this: 

Last year, applications rose markedly, and much was in-state and probably attributable to the Go Blue Guarantee, the free tuition promise to in-state families making less than $65,000 per year. 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/06/16/um-applications-rise-10-another-record-high/705920002/

This is in stark contrast to much of the rest of the state's public universities. 

https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/university_enrollment.html

Joined: 01/28/2014

MGoPoints: 2115

stephenrjking

December 11th, 2018 at 1:23 PM ^

I liked the idea behind this program when it was revealed and it sounds like early returns are promising. This is a great effort that speaks very well of the university. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

MGoSteven

December 11th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^

The HAIL program is also the "Hometown Alumni Involvement Link" for the College of Engineering. It matches prospective students up with local CoE alums for an in-person interview to answer questions they may have about the university. So I think there are several "HAIL" programs. I imagine it can cause some confusion. 

Joined: 03/28/2010

MGoPoints: 254

StephenRKass

December 11th, 2018 at 1:44 PM ^

I love this program. It is great that it focuses on economic factors rather than race factors. The reality is that low income, low education, cultural factors are more critical than racial factors. I have seen predictors that suggest children of single moms who didn't graduate from high school, regardless of race, are much, much more likely to end up ensnared in crime, more likely to continue a low income cycle, more likely to struggle academically. Anything Michigan can do to help break that cycle would be absolutely awesome.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 22989

Worcester Wolverine

December 11th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^

Thanks very much for posting this! Glad to see my former Professor's research and the school's program both making this piece. Obviously a thorny problem to address that will take a lot of work, but I'm proud of UM's efforts here.

Go Blue!

Joined: 12/04/2018

MGoPoints: 239