The impact of state appropriations and grants on access to higher education and outmigration

Education policymakers at all levels of government have long been interested in finding ways to entice more students to go to college. This goal has been driven by the belief that, as people acquire more education, they not only reap personal benefits from their investment in education, but they also create spillover benefits for others in society (referred to by economists as "positive externalities") in ways such as raising their community's standard of living, reducing crime rates, and enhancing the region's quality of life.