Aligning Aid with Enrollment: Interim Findings on Aid Like A Paycheck

After covering tuition and fees, most colleges distribute remaining financial aid 'refund' amounts to students in one or two lump sums during the term. MDRC explored the Aid Like A Paycheck approach, in which financial aid refunds are disbursed biweekly, with the goal of helping students stretch their financial aid (including federal Pell Grants, state aid, and loans) to cover expenses throughout the term.