Arbeitspapier

Do tuition fees affect the mobility of university applicants? Evidence from a natural experiment

Several German states recently introduced tuition fees for university education. We investigate whether these tuition fees influence the mobility of university applicants. Based on administrative data of applicants for medical schools in Germany, we estimate the effect of tuition fees on the probability of applying for a university in the home state. We find a small but significant reaction: The probability of applying for a university in the home state falls by 2 percentage points (baseline: 69%) for high-school graduates who come from a state with tuition fees. Moreover, we find that students with lower high-school grades react more strongly to tuition fees. This might have important effects on the composition of students across states.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 4421

Classification
Wirtschaft
Educational Finance; Financial Aid
Education: Government Policy
State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
Subject
Mobility of high-school graduates
tuition fees
natural experiment
Studienfinanzierung
Studierende
Binnenwanderung
Teilstaat
Deutschland

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Dwenger, Nadja
Storck, Johanna
Wrohlich, Katharina
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
(where)
Bonn
(when)
2009

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Dwenger, Nadja
  • Storck, Johanna
  • Wrohlich, Katharina
  • Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Time of origin

  • 2009

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