The Effects of Delaware’s Free College Program on Sub-Baccalaureate Education and Labor Market Outcomes

Delaware’s Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) scholarship, established in 2005, originally covered tuition for associate degree programs for students with a minimum of 2.5 GPA and expanded in 2021 to include workforce training, and removed GPA requirements for these shorter-term programs. Economist Florence Ran and education and social policy scholar Hojung Lee will estimate the impacts of SEED on college enrollment, credential attainment, employment, and earnings. They will analyze statewide longitudinal data that link Delaware students’ K–12 records, postsecondary enrollment, and unemployment insurance data for their study.