Key takeaways
- A study in Ethiopia found conditional cash transfers increased secondary school enrollment. Youth offered transfers were more likely to enroll and stay in school.
- Earlier notification delivered bigger impacts. Students informed more than a year in advance saw larger enrollment gains and higher exam pass rates.
- Benefits extended beyond schooling. The program reduced early marriage and improved household well-being, including increased school enrollment among younger siblings.
Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are among the most widely studied and successful interventions targeting school enrollment and attendance in low- and middle-income countries. Cash payments defray the costs of enrollment and transportation that systematically discourage many families from sending children to school; they may also better enable families to meet their needs without labor income generated from children or adolescents, who can reallocate their time to school. Read more>>