In this paper, I study heterogeneity in graduate students’ responses to financial incentives. The incentive was given by a student aid reform in Norway that was intended to increase the proportion of students who graduate on time by offering a reduction of their student loan. Using a difference-in-difference strategy and detailed Norwegian register data, I find considerable variation in the treatment effect by student characteristics. Male students, students from low-income families, students in the middle of the ability distribution, and students with dependent children responded more strongly to the reform than others. Both employment rates and earnings of treated students were significantly reduced in the reform period, but the take-up of loans was not largely affected. In summary, male students mainly responded by reducing working hours, whereas female students largely exited employment. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds must have adapted through other channels than employment, earnings, or take-up of loans. Students with dependent children responded by increasing their take-up of loans. There is an understudied relationship between student characteristics and student behavior. By learning more about this relationship, it might be possible to design policies that affect student behavior more efficiently than the ones that are in place today.

中文翻译：

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研究生教育中的学生异质性和经济激励：来自学生资助改革的证据

在本文中，我研究了研究生对经济激励措施的异质性。挪威的一项学生援助改革提供了激励措施，该改革旨在通过减少学生贷款来增加按时毕业的学生比例。使用差异差异策略和详细的挪威语登记数据，我发现学生特点在治疗效果上存在很大差异。男生，来自低收入家庭的学生，能力分布中等的学生以及有抚养子女的学生对改革的反应比其他人更为强烈。在改革期间，就业率和在校学生的收入均显着下降，但贷款的使用并没有受到很大影响。总之，男学生主要是通过减少工作时间来应对的，而女学生大部分退出了工作。社会经济背景较低的学生必须通过就业，收入或贷款接受等其他方式进行适应。有受抚养子女的学生通过增加对贷款的承担来应对。在学生特征和学生行为之间存在一种未被充分研究的关系。通过更多地了解这种关系，可能有可能设计出比当今现行政策更有效地影响学生行为的政策。在学生特征和学生行为之间存在一种未被充分研究的关系。通过更多地了解这种关系，可能有可能设计出比当今现行政策更有效地影响学生行为的政策。在学生特征和学生行为之间存在一种未被充分研究的关系。通过更多地了解这种关系，可能有可能设计出比当今现行政策更有效地影响学生行为的政策。