Scholarship increased degree attainment, projected earnings for low-income Michigan students
The University of Michigan's High-Achieving Involved Leader (HAIL) Scholarship program increased on-time bachelor's degree attainment rates by 4%, according to a study co-authored by researchers from U-M, Harvard University and elsewhere.
The University of Michigan's High-Achieving Involved Leader (HAIL) Scholarship program boosted on-time bachelor's degree completion rates by 4%, as demonstrated in a study co-authored by researchers from U-M, Harvard, and other institutions. While U-M's strong association with economic mobility for low-income students is evident, these students remain underrepresented on campus. Notably, U-M only has 3% of undergraduates from households in the lowest income quintile, compared to 9% from the top 1%.
To attract high-achieving, low-income applicants, researchers piloted the HAIL Scholarship, which offers four years of free tuition upon admission. The program, running from 2016-2023, served as the precursor to the Go Blue Guarantee, providing free tuition to in-state students with family incomes under $125,000 annually. HAIL altered financial aid timing—traditionally, aid is informed post-admission—by guaranteeing aid upon application submission.
Simultaneously, students, parents, and high school faculty received targeted outreach about the guarantee.
Initially showing promise in applications and enrollment, this new study reveals additional impacts on educational and economic outcomes. For 2016-2017 high school graduates, HAIL led to a 21 percentage-point increase in U-M enrollment among high-achieving, low-income applicants. HAIL recipients were 4.1 percentage points more likely to earn a bachelor's degree within four years and were drawn toward more selective institutions.
The study projects that improved degree quality could raise annual earnings by 18-25%. The authors, including U-M's Katherine Michelmore and Harvard's Elizabeth Burland, argue that better information, simplified applications, and clearer aid promises can guide students to higher-quality colleges, but they cannot generate more seats.
To increase low-income applications, HAIL reduced undermatching by reallocating access to high-quality colleges, a step toward broader mobility.
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