Reducing inequality in access to university in Chile: the relative contribution of cultural capital and financial aid

In 2016, Chile implemented a policy of free higher education (gratuity) for secondary school graduates from families in the lower income range. One of the stated objectives of the new policy was to increase the access of secondary school graduates from families with lower levels of education. To answer that concern, we analyzed administrative data from more than 800,000 students seeking university admission in 2012, 2015, and 2019. Our objective was to determine whether an increased proportion of “first-generation” students had been admitted to selective universities. The results show that between 2015 and 2019, the impact of the gratuity on first-generation admissions was marginal. It was of some importance only for those secondary school graduates from public schools and those who had been enrolled in the technical-professional track. The enrollment rate of these groups increased 2.2 and 2.7%, respectively. In sum, the effect of the introduction of gratuity on enrollment of first-generation students was not as impressive as expected. It has acted principally as an alternative source of finance, reducing use of other forms such as bank loans and scholarships. These results challenge directly the hypothesis that inequity in access to university is primarily attributable to financial difficulties.