Post-secondary access: Evidence from Pakistan

Improving access to post-secondary education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has received less attention in academic and policy circles, compared to primary and secondary education. We know little about the effectiveness of programs, policies, and interventions that aim to improve the transition of students from secondary to post-secondary education. In this paper, we study a 2-year college operated by a national NGO (NGOC) in Pakistan that offers a holistic preparatory and support program for students to apply to and enroll in 4-year universities. Using administrative and survey data from 1450 students in a propensity score weighting design, we compare students who attend the NGOC with similar students who attend a different 2-year college. We find that NGOC students are significantly more likely to apply to and enroll in 4-year universities. We discuss potential contextual factors through which the NGOC could have improved student access to universities. In particular, we have suggestive evidence that access to more information on the application process and financial aid opportunities through counseling and mentoring was one way the NGOC potentially improved the transition of students to post-secondary education. Our results have implications for programming at similar 2-year colleges, and for policy to improve post-secondary educational trajectories of students in LMICs.