Initial impacts of participatory budget in the financing of higher education: Evidence for Medellin (Colombia)

Abstract

This paper assesses the impact that higher education funding has had in Medellin with resources from the participatory budget program during the 2007-2015 period. The short-term impact on employment, income, children, marital status and socio-economic mobilization is analyzed. For the above, the certified base of the Sisben 2015 and the base of enrolled in the program are used. The treatment eligibility rule is used, so a sharp discontinuous regression design is estimated. The results indicate that the non-eligible population in the margin is very similar to the eligible. The program reduces the probability of being employed and receiving income, as well as having children for women but increases the chances that low-income people can access the higher education and mobilization socioeconomic level. There is no evidence of any effect on marital status.