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Most states use need-based state grant programs to reduce financial barriers to college for students from low-income households. The policy design and eligibility requirements of these grant programs vary from state to state and even across sectors. But some policies may unintentionally disproportionately exclude students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups.In this report, we analyze data on students who attend college in their state of legal residence and examine how the characteristics of need-based state grant programs affect students from different racial and ethnic groups. We focus on 11 states with significant need-based grant programs and examine both program structure and the distribution of aid among students from different racial and ethnic groups. We find that some of the eligibility restrictions for state grants, including those based on time part-time enrollment, time since high school graduation, and high school academic record, may have differential impacts by race and ethnicity.The data show that differences in aid receipt are not as large or as prevalent as one might expect, but in some states, Black, Hispanic, or Asian students are less likely than others in similar financial circumstances to receive state grant aid. These differences usually do not occur within the public four-year sector but occur either among public two-year college students or among college students overall. Another significant issue is the relatively small share of state grant aid going to students attending public two-year colleges, which tend to enroll relatively large shares of Black and Hispanic students.Each state has a unique program design for need-based aid, and both student demographics and enrollment patterns vary considerably among states, so the most effective policies will differ from state to state. If states want to ensure inclusivity in their need-based state grant programs, they would be well advised to examine their policies for differenti

Public preschool can help children thrive and can promote equitable outcomes when families have access to it. District of Columbia Public Prekindergarten has enrolled the highest share of 3- and 4-year-old children in America for more than a decade in its full-day, school-year program. Using data from DC Prekindergarten applications from 2015 to 2020, we examined whether the probability of being matched to a ranked school differed across applications submitted in Spanish and English.Our findings suggest that DC Prekindergarten is generally accessible, even after accounting for language of application, with differences in probability of assignment instead based on grade of application. We find that families who applied to PK3 (prekindergarten for 3-year-olds) in Spanish were slightly less likely to be matched to a school, while families who applied to PK4 in Spanish were substantially more likely to be matched than families who applied in English. We also find applications completed in Spanish ranked fewer schools and ranked both more popular and more dual language programs than those completed in English. This study documents the need for continued examination of school offerings, families' needs, language supports, and the application process to ensure access to DC Prekindergarten.