The Institute of Education Sciences (November 2024) published RCT findings for two pilot initiatives that offered Pell Grants (federal financial aid) to low-income adults for short-term occupational training programs. These high-quality RCTs found sizable impacts on program completion, but no discernible impacts on the hoped-for economic outcomes: employment or earnings, measured approximately 3-5 years after program completion.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in January 2025, published an RCT of HUD’s $140 million/year Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, which provides case management services and financial incentives to housing voucher recipients to promote work and self-sufficiency. This large, high quality RCT found no discernible impacts on employment or earnings over 6 years.
Third Sector posted (August 2024) RCT findings for a Massachusetts Pay for Success Project that provided Roca – a violence intervention and behavioral health program – to justice-involved young men to prevent reoffending. This high-quality RCT found no discernible effects on reincarceration or employment over 5 years. The study was able to rule out the sizable positive effects anticipated as the project’s start, but not more modest effects.
Mobility posted (October 2024) long-term RCT results for Project QUEST's occupational training of low-income adults for well-paying healthcare jobs. This high-quality RCT found a 15-20% gain in annual earnings at the 14 year follow-up - an extremely promising (albeit not quite definitive) result.
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