We estimate the impact of a matched savings account program on high school students’ college enrollment and persistence through a randomized controlled trial carried out in Italy. The tested program (Percorsi) provided low‐income high school students with a 4:1 match rate for savings dedicated to higher education expenditures and required that they attended financial education classes. The program increased rates of enrollment and persistence in university by about nine percentage points. Effects were even larger for vocational school students, who have poorer social backgrounds and lower academic preparation. Incentivized savings programs have potential to reduce social disparities in higher education participation, though the lower saving capacity of poorer households can generate regressivity in program design.

中文翻译：

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通过激励储蓄增加大学学习：意大利的一项随机对照试验的证据

我们通过在意大利进行的随机对照试验，估算了匹配的储蓄帐户计划对高中生的大学入学率和持久性的影响。经过测试的计划（Percorsi）为低收入高中学生提供了4：1的匹配率，以节省用于高等教育支出的费用，并要求他们参加金融教育课程。该计划使大学的入学率和坚持率提高了大约9个百分点。对于社会背景较差，学业水平较低的职业学校学生，影响更大。激励性储蓄计划有可能减少高等教育参与中的社会差距，尽管较贫困家庭的储蓄能力较低会导致计划设计的回归。