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The Impact of Bolsa Família on Schooling

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  • de Brauw, Alan
  • Gilligan, Daniel O.
  • Hoddinott, John
  • Roy, Shalini

Abstract

We use longitudinal household data and propensity score weighting methods to assess the impact of Brazil’s Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer program on schooling outcomes of children aged 6–17years. Weak aggregate effects mask considerable heterogeneity. Among girls, the program significantly increases school participation (by 8 percentage points) and grade progression (by 10 percentage points), with large, significant effects across both younger and older girls in rural areas but concentrated among girls aged 15–17years in urban areas. Few significant impacts are found among boys. We discuss implications and potential mechanisms for differential impacts by sex, age, and location.

Suggested Citation

  • de Brauw, Alan & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Hoddinott, John & Roy, Shalini, 2015. "The Impact of Bolsa Família on Schooling," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 303-316.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:70:y:2015:i:c:p:303-316
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.02.001
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    5. Zhou, Lei & Jiang, Bo & Wang, Jingxi, 2020. "Do cash transfers have impacts on student Academic, cognitive, and enrollment outcomes? Evidence from rural China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    6. Costa, Lorena Vieira & Helfand, Steven M. & Souza, André Portela, 2018. "No impact of rural development policies?: no synergies with conditional cash transfers?: an investigation of the IFAD-Supported Gavião Project in Brazil," Textos para discussão 489, FGV EESP - Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil).
    7. Wang, Yiru, 2018. "Educational and nutritional consequences of education subsidy in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 167-180.
    8. Costa, Lorena Vieira & Helfand, Steven M. & Souza, André Portela de, 2023. "No impact of rural development policies? No synergies with CCTs? The IFAD-supported Gavião Project in Brazil," Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural (RESR), Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural, vol. 61(4), January.
    9. Patel-Campillo, Anouk & Salas García, V.B., 2022. "Breaking the poverty cycle? Conditional cash transfers and higher education attainment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115021, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Patel-Campillo, Anouk & García, V.B. Salas, 2022. "Breaking the poverty cycle? Conditional cash transfers and higher education attainment," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    11. Khiem, Phuong Huu & Linh, Dinh Hong & Tai, Do Anh & Dung, Nguyen Dac, 2020. "Does tuition fee policy reform encourage poor children’s school enrolment? Evidence from Vietnam," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 109-124.
    12. Jiaqi Yang & Geetha Mohan & Supriya Pipil & Kensuke Fukushi, 2021. "Review on basic income (BI): its theories and empirical cases," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(2), pages 203-239, December.
    13. Bui, Tuan Anh & Nguyen, Cuong Viet & Nguyen, Khuong Duc & Nguyen, Ha Hong & Pham, Phuong Thu, 2020. "The effect of tuition fee reduction and education subsidy on school enrollment: Evidence from Vietnam," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    14. Fonseca Morello, Thiago, 2023. "Hospitalization due to fire-induced pollution in the Brazilian Amazon: A causal inference analysis with an assessment of policy trade-offs," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    15. Santos, Felícia Mariana & Corseuil, Carlos Henrique Leite, 2022. "The effect of Bolsa Familia Program on mitigating adolescent school dropouts due to maternity: An area analysis," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Morton, Gregory Duff, 2019. "The power of lump sums: Using maternity payment schedules to reduce the gender asset gap in households reached by Brazil’s Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 352-367.
    17. Meskoub, M., 2015. "Cash transfer as a social policy instrument or a tool of adjustment policy: from indirect subsidies (to energy and utilities) to cash subsidies in Iran, 2010-2014," ISS Working Papers - General Series 610, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    18. Hidayatina, Achsanah & Garces-Ozanne, Arlene, 2019. "Can cash transfers mitigate child labour? Evidence from Indonesia’s cash transfer programme for poor students in Java," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 1-1.
    19. Servaas van der Berg & Gabrielle Wills & Rebecca Selkirk & Charles Adams & Chris van Wyk, 2019. "The cost of repetition in South Africa," Working Papers 13/2019, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.

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