Negative Income Tax Trial
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Pennsylvania
About this trial
In partnership with a local community college in in Omaha, Nebraska, the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) at the University of Pennsylvania will conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine the impacts of a negative income tax for MCC students, with particular attention to educational and career advancement outcomes. The sample will include students in a degree-seeking program, as well as those in non-degree programs, such as those working towards professional certificates.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
19 years of age or older, and
Currently in 2nd semester of MCC Associate's program OR completed at least one Level-1 credential OR within one month of completing a Level 2 credential, and
Have a total adjusted gross income (AGI) $6,000 below the SPM for the reported family size, and
Compliant with community college's enrollment, participation, and documentation requirements
Disqualifiers
None
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Negative Income Tax
Other interventionNegative income tax calculated by the supplemental poverty measures less the household's prior tax year adjusted gross income, then divided by 12 to arrive at a monthly cash transfer
Control
Other interventionNo negative income tax payment
Treatment groups
750 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Associate's Degree Seekers with NITExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Credential Seekers with NITExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: ControlActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Educational Program Completion
Number of participants who complete academic program, whether Associate's Degree or credential
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 months2
Workforce participation
Number of participants who become employed in industry associated with earned degree or credential
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 monthsSecondary outcomes
1
Housing status
Number of participants who report a change in housing status (e.g., renter, homeowner, rent-to-own, etc.) or report stable housing status in the prior month.
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 months2
Food security (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale)
9 items to assess past four week food insecurity: 1) worry about not having enough food, 2) inability to eat preferred foods, 3) eating a limited variety of foods, 4) having to eat foods that they did not want to eat, 5) eating a smaller meal than needed, 6) eating fewer meals in a day, 7) having no food to eat, 8) going to sleep at night hungry, and 9) going a whole day and night without eating. Items scored as "yes" (1) or "no" (0).
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 months3
Financial wellbeing (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Wellbeing Scale)
Each item is scored 0 to 4 and summed to a total. The sum total is then converted to a total response value on the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale score from 0-100, where higher scores indicate a greater sense of financial well-being.
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 months4
Psychological distress (Kessler 6)
Each item is scored from zero "none of the time" to four "all of the time." Scores of the 6 items are then summed, yielding a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 24. Low scores indicate low levels of psychological distress and high scores indicate high levels of psychological distress.
Time frame
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 monthsSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov