I knew it!!!

Despite Bush Administration Efforts to Kill the Program:
Government Study Labels Talent Search Effective

August 22, 2006

Washington, DC - Disadvantaged students participating in the TRIO Talent Search program were significantly more likely to enroll in college than their peers, a U.S. Department of Education-sponsored study has shown.

The just-released report documenting the effectiveness of the Talent Search program in preparing low-income and first-generation students for college is a statistical rebuke to Bush Administration claims that the program is not worth funding. The $144 million Talent Search program was proposed for elimination in the Administration's FY 2006 and FY2007 budgets. Each time, Congress acted to restore the funding.

Talent Search serves more than 385,000 middle and high school students in 470 programs across the country, at an average cost of $375 per student (in 2004). Talent Search students receive counseling, college admissions and financial aid guidance, all designed to improving college access for disadvantaged youth.

The study, prepared by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. (MPR) for the Department's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, was the second phase of a national evaluation, focusing on three states hosting Talent Search programs - Florida, Indiana and Texas.

The researchers compared high school graduation rates, the college-going rates and the financial aid application levels for students who participated in Talent Search and large groups of similar students in those three states who were not served by Talent Search. In all three measures in all three states, the Talent Search students had stronger track records.

In Texas, for example, the researchers looked at the records of more than 4,000 Talent Search students participating in ten programs. They found that more than 1 of every 2 Talent Search students enrolled in some post-secondary institution, while only 1 in 3 students in the comparison group did so. Put another way, when comparing both college-going groups, the Talent Search students were 54% more likely to enroll in post-secondary education than the other students.

In Florida, where 51% of the Talent Search students enrolled in college but only 37% of the other students did so, when comparing the two groups, the Talent Search students were 38% more likely to go to college.

And in Indiana, where there are an array of other college-going programs and services available to students, there was still a statistically-significant advantage in the Talent Search group - those students were 13% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education.

The Mathematica study looked at levels of financial aid applications because the chances that disadvantaged students will enroll in four-year colleges are considerably higher if they have received information about and encouragement to apply for financial aid. Talent Search students receive that kind of encouragement and assistance as part of the program.

The researchers found that there were substantial differences in financial aid application rates between the two groups. In Texas, the Talent Search students were nearly twice as likely as the comparison students to apply for financial aid. The difference was, again, smallest in Indiana, but even there, the study noted: "the gap represents application levels for financial aid that are one-third higher for Talent Search participants."

"Talent Search is a low-cost program that has a major impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of low-income and first-generation students every year," said Maureen Hoyler, executive vice president of the Council for Opportunity in Education. "The Mathematica evaluation convincingly demonstrates Talent Search's effectiveness and should, by all rights, put to rest any efforts to eliminate this highly-successful program."

The Council is a non-profit advocacy group that supports TRIO programs, helping low-income and prospective first-generation students enter and complete college.