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High school track choice and financial constraints : evidence from urban Mexico

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  • Avitabile,Ciro
  • Bobba,Matteo
  • Pariguana,Marco

Abstract

Parents and students from different socioeconomic backgrounds value differently school characteristics, but the reasons behind this preference heterogeneity are not well understood. In the context of the centralized school assignment system in Mexico City, this study analyzes how a large household income shock affects choices over high school tracks exploiting the discontinuity in the assignment of the welfare program Oportunidades. The income shock significantly increases the probability of choosing the vocational track vis-a-vis the other more academic-oriented tracks. The findings suggest that the transfer relaxes the financial constraints that prevent relatively low-ability students from choosing the schooling option with higher labor market returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Avitabile,Ciro & Bobba,Matteo & Pariguana,Marco, 2015. "High school track choice and financial constraints : evidence from urban Mexico," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7427, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7427
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dustan, Andrew, 2020. "Can large, untargeted conditional cash transfers increase urban high school graduation rates? Evidence from Mexico City's Prepa Sí," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    3. Maria Pia Iocco, 2024. "Effects of a teacher training reform in Guatemala," Working Paper Series 0624, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Arthuer Bauer, 2017. "Redistributive Programs’ Implementation: Do Political Incentives Matter ?," Working Paper 35992a1b-607f-43ad-baa0-1, Agence française de développement.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education For All; Secondary Education; Tertiary Education; Effective Schools and Teachers; Primary Education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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