The Impact of Girls' Education Support Program on Human Capital Development: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Malawian Secondary Schools

Booyuel Kim, Columbia University

This paper evaluates a randomized controlled trial of the girls’ education support program on human capital development of 3,997 female students (9th ~ 11th grades) across 124 classrooms in 33 public secondary schools in Malawi. We find that female students treated with one-year tuition support and monthly cash stipends are more likely to attend school and have better test scores. We also find that cognitive ability in the treatment group increases by 0.215 standard deviations, and those treated also display higher aspirations for educational achievement. Moreover, there is a significant improvement in time preference (increased patience). (JEL: C93, I20, O15)