The impact of a conditional cash transfer programme on education outcomes beyond school attendance in Argentina

Abstract

We estimate the impact on education outcomes of the Universal Child Allowance (AUH), a conditional cash transfer programme launched in Argentina in 2009. Evidence from previous works suggests a significant positive impact on attendance rates at the beginning of the school year. In this paper we contribute over and above those previous findings by addressing the effects on other education outcomes. Based on a difference-in-difference analysis, we find that the AUH may be held responsible for significant improvements on intra-year dropout rates and primary school completion rates, while the analysis highlights heterogeneous effects across age groups and gender.