Sarah E. Turner

Last updated
Sarah E. Turner
Born (1966-07-25) July 25, 1966 (age 57)
Alma mater
  • Princeton University (BA)
  • University of Michigan (PhD)
Scientific career
FieldsEconomics
InstitutionsUniversity of Virginia
Thesis  (1997)
Website economics.virginia.edu/people/set5h

Sarah E. Turner (born July 25, 1966) is an American professor of economics and education and Souder Family Endowed Chair at the University of Virginia. [1] She also holds appointments in the university's Department of Economics, the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and the School of Education and Human Development (formerly the Curry School of Education). [2] She is a faculty research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a research affiliate at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan. [2] [3]

Contents

Education

Turner received her Bachelor of Arts in economics with magna cum laude (high honors) from Princeton University in 1989. She earned her doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in December 1997. [3] While at the University of Michigan, Turner earned the NICHD Trainee title for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the Population Studies Center (1994-1997), and the Regent's Fellowship for Graduate Study (1992-1994). [3]

Career

Turner has been University Professor of Economics and Education at the University of Virginia and the Souder Family Endowed Chair since 2008 and 2014, respectively, having joined the department as an assistant professor of education and economics in 1997. [1] [3] She was Economics Department chair from 2013 until 2016. [3] Turner has been on the Spencer Foundation Major Grants Program Committee (1999-2001), and she was Baccalaureate & Beyond part of the Technical Advisory Committee (2001-2003), AERA (Division L) Program Committee (2005-2006) and the APPAM Program Committee (2006). [3] She was an editor for the Journal of Labour Economics (2012-2014), American Economic Review (2011-2017), and the Education Finance & Policy (2018-present).[ clarification needed ] [3] Turner has also held private sector jobs such as working for J.P. Morgan in New York, NY as a Research Assistant from 1989 to 1990, [3] and for The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, NY as a Research Associate for the publication "The 'Flight from the Arts and Sciences': Trends in Degrees Conferred." from 1990 to 1992. [3] [4]

Research

Turner is best known for her work on the economics of education in the United States. [5] Her research specializes in the economics of educational policy, and the economics of higher education. [6] Much of Turner's work explores how higher educational opportunities - in colleges and universities - affects the labor market, including the behavioral effects of financial aid policies, such as student aid programs, social insurances, and social welfare programs. [5] [7]

Some of her more recent papers include "Public Universities: The Supply Side of Building a Skilled Workforce", which investigates and analyses the correlation between the decline in state funding per student and educational and research outcomes of schools, and "The Right Way to Capture College 'Opportunity'", which suggests measurement challenges in identifying whether high educational institutions actually provide opportunities for low-income students. As of today, Turner's research has been cited in 6,966 working and published papers [8] as she continues to analyze economics of education in the United States. She is currently collaborating with John Bound at the Russell Sage Foundation in order to examine the mobility of high-educated workers through the U.S. census data. [5]

Selected work

"A Letter and Encouragement: Does Information Increase Postsecondary Enrollment of UI Recipients?" (2018) This paper by Andrew Barr and Sarah Turner explores methods that increase enrollment in postsecondary programs. This paper suggests how the dissemination and timing of information sent to Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients greatly impact their decision to enroll. [9] The enrollment in postsecondary programs is necessary as it increases the chances to future employment, something that is necessary as unemployment rates rise in an undesirable amount in the United States: from 6.5 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009. [9]

Regardless of the potential for significant federal financial assistance and the low cost of returning to school for the unemployed, very few do due to its difficult navigation characteristics. [9] The federal government's 2009 initiative called "Pell Letter", where more than 20 million individuals were sent letters, had an overall impactful effect on enrollments: it increased by 40 percent above the baseline. [9] It suggests how an information nudge or letter intervention can affect one's decision, and in this case, for the better as more individuals choose to enroll in postsecondary institutions. This paper's findings propose how well-coordinated information intervention can be more cost-efficient than raising financial aid policies to increase postsecondary enrollment participation. [9]

"What High-Achieving Low-Income Students Know About College Options" (2015) Turner co-authored this article with Caroline Hoxby. Turner and Hoxby propose a project called Expanding College Opportunities (ECO), which is an intervention designed to test their hypothesis on how the high-achieving low-income students were less likely to apply in postsecondary institutions that have more resource-intensive characteristics as their net prices were harder to ascertain. [10] The ECO intervention presents guidance on how to apply in higher education, its costs, graduation rates, the institution's resources, and no-paperwork fee waivers. Rather than recommending a higher education institution, the ECO intervention gave information with the freedom of choice for the individual.

"Finishing Degrees and Finding Jobs: U.S. Higher Education and the Flow of Foreign IT Workers" (2014) As time passes, technology is improving. For this reason, it is a given that there is a rise of importance to Information Technology (IT) positions as they are slowly coming to dominate, in this case, the United States' economy. There is a tremendous increase in foreign-born in IT occupations from around 15.5 percent in 1993 to around 31.5 percent in 2010. [11] This paper emphasizes the understanding of the role of higher education in the U.S. and immigration policies in this transformation. [11]

"Student Loans: Do College Students Borrow Too Much - Or Not Enough?" (2012) Christopher Avery and Sarah Turner study the benefits and costs of student loans and how it is changing over time. The authors suggest that we are now in the midst of what they call an "education bubble". They illustrate how current generations are overestimating the economic value that higher education provides, and many of them would be better off saving or using the money in something else. [12] The combination of wage decline in entry-level positions and the tuition increase have placed many students in a no-win situation, pressuring them to make a financial risky decision and apply for student loans. On the other hand, the premium of a postsecondary degree in comparison to a high school degree has nearly doubled in the last three decades. [12] In this paper, Turner and Avery analyze a framework that takes into account student loans (not as an anecdote) as something that can be optimally invested for postsecondary benefits.

In enrolling in a college or university, it is most likely the first major capital investment that one will make. For many students, it will be the first time they encounter a formal loan. Similar to buying lottery tickets, we expect large sums of benefits. However, the gains are variable. In particular, one needs to take into account the probability of completing the degree, the field of study, and the earnings differences linked to the different levels of degrees. [12] The observation that colleges and/or universities are good investments for students still leaves many significant unanswered research questions about a student's decision to obtain a degree/diploma and their borrowing behaviour. [12]

Awards

In 2002, Turner received the Milken Institute Award for Distinguished Economic Research. [3]

Selected works

Scholarly publications

Other publications and monographs

PSC reports

Books

Related Research Articles

A school voucher, also called an education voucher in a voucher system, is a certificate of government funding for students at schools chosen by themselves or their parents. Funding is usually for a particular year, term, or semester. In some countries, states, or local jurisdictions, the voucher can be used to cover or reimburse home schooling expenses. In some countries, vouchers only exist for tuition at private schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upward Bound</span> Federally funded U.S. college readiness program

Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs now referred to as TRiO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound programs are implemented and monitored by the United States Department of Education. The goal of Upward Bound is to provide certain categories of high school students better opportunities for attending college. The categories of greatest concern are those with low income, those with parents who did not attend college, and those living in rural areas. The program works through individual grants, each of which covers a restricted geographic area and provides services to approximately 59,000 students annually. The program focuses on academic and nonacademic resources and activities like visits to museums or tutoring for school work. Students are encouraged to be involved in Upward Bound for the entire academic year and a 6-week long summer program. Many students who are also granted access into the Upward Bound program are labeled as first generation college students, who are students that are the first in their family to attend college. This program is set in place for students who come from low income families as well as underrepresented schools and gives them an opportunity to excel in college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student loan</span> Type of loan for educational expenses

A student loan is a type of loan designed to help students pay for post-secondary education and the associated fees, such as tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses. It may differ from other types of loans in the fact that the interest rate may be substantially lower and the repayment schedule may be deferred while the student is still in school. It also differs in many countries in the strict laws regulating renegotiating and bankruptcy. This article highlights the differences of the student loan system in several major countries.

In the United States, higher education is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education. It is also referred as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education. It covers stages 5 to 8 on the International ISCED 2011 scale. It is delivered at 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, known as colleges or universities. These may be public or private universities, research universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. US higher education is loosely regulated by the government and by several third-party organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College tuition in the United States</span> Aspect of American higher education

College tuition in the United States is the cost of higher education collected by educational institutions in the United States, and paid by individuals. It does not include the tuition covered through general taxes or from other government funds, or that which is paid from university endowment funds or gifts. Tuition for college has increased as the value, quality, and quantity of education have increased. Many feel that increases in cost have not been accompanied by increases in quality, and that administrative costs are excessive. The value of a college education has become a topic of national debate in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher Education Act of 1965</span> U.S. law establishing a student loan program

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. Johnson chose Texas State University, his alma mater, as the signing site. The law was intended "to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education". It increased federal money given to universities, created scholarships, gave low-interest loans for students, and established a National Teachers Corps. The "financial assistance for students" is covered in Title IV of the HEA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispanic-serving institution</span> Federally defined category of higher education institution in the United States

A Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) is defined in U.S. federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or higher total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment. In the 2021–22 academic year, 572 institutions met the federal criteria, up from 539 institutions in the 2018–19 academic year.

Caroline Minter Hoxby is an American economist whose research focuses on issues in education and public economics. She is currently the Scott and Donya Bommer Professor in Economics at Stanford University and program director of the Economics of Education Program for the National Bureau of Economic Research. Hoxby is a John and Lydia Pearce Mitchell University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. She is also a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

Thomas Joseph Kane is an American education economist who currently holds the position of Walter H. Gale Professor of Education and Economics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has performed research on education policy, labour economics and econometrics. During Bill Clinton's first term as U.S. President, Kane served on the Council of Economic Advisers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Ontario</span> Colleges and universities in Ontario, Canada

Higher education in Ontario includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The current minister is Jill Dunlop who was appointed in June 2021. The ministry administers laws covering 22 public universities, 24 public colleges, 17 privately funded religious universities, and over 500 private career colleges. 18 of the top 50 research universities in Canada are in Ontario.

Education economics or the economics of education is the study of economic issues relating to education, including the demand for education, the financing and provision of education, and the comparative efficiency of various educational programs and policies. From early works on the relationship between schooling and labor market outcomes for individuals, the field of the economics of education has grown rapidly to cover virtually all areas with linkages to education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal TRIO Programs</span> Outreach program

The Federal TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs in the United States designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are administered, funded, and implemented by the United States Department of Education. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects. Their existence is owed to the passing of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The higher education bubble in the United States is the possibility that excessive investment in higher education could have negative repercussions in the broader economy. Although college tuition payments are rising, the supply of college graduates in many fields of study is exceeding the demand for their skills, which aggravates graduate unemployment and underemployment while increasing the burden of student loan defaults on financial institutions and taxpayers. Moreover, the higher education bubble might be even more serious than load of student debts. Without safeguards in place for funding and loans, the government risks creating a moral hazard in which schools charge students expensive tuition fees without offering them marketable skills in return. The claim has generally been used to justify cuts to public higher education spending, tax cuts, or a shift of government spending towards law enforcement and national security. There is a further concern that having an excess supply of college graduates exacerbates political instability, historically linked to having a bulge in the number of young degree holders.

Bridget Terry Long is the 12th Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Saris Professor of Education and Economics. She is an economist whose research focuses on college access and success. Long is a Faculty Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a member of the National Academy of Education.

Eric P. Bettinger is an American economist and currently works as the Conley-DeAngelis Family Professor of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He ranks among the world's leading education economists.

Peter Arcidiacono is an American economist and econometrician. He received his PhD from Wisconsin in 1999 and has taught at Duke University ever since. He became a fellow of the Econometric Society in 2018.

Higher education in the United States is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education. Higher education, also referred to as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education occurs most commonly at one of the 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions in the country. These may be public universities, private universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. Learning environments vary greatly depending on not only the type of institution, but also the different goals implemented by the relevant county and state.

Financial issues facing students in the United States include the rising cost of tuition, as well as ancillaries, such as room and board, textbook and coursework costs, personal expenses, and transportation.

David J. Deming is an American economist and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, Professor of Education and Economics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Director of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, His research focuses on the economics of education in general and the impact of education policies on long-run non-test score outcomes. In 2018, David Deming received the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management for his work in the areas of secondary education, vocational training and skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Postsecondary Student Aid Study</span>

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a study conducted every four years by the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. This study captures data regarding how students pay for postsecondary education, with special attention to how families fund higher education. The NPSAS, which has been conducted periodically since 1987, has a complex design, utilizing sampling and weighting to achieve a sample that represents college students nationwide.

References

  1. 1 2 "| Department of Economics". economics.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  2. 1 2 "Economics of Education". Macmillan International Higher Education. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Turner, Sarah E (January 2019). "CV" (PDF). economics.virginia.edu.
  4. ↑ Turner, Sarah E.; Bowen, William G. (1990-10-26). "The Flight from the Arts and Sciences: Trends in Degrees Conferred". Science. 250 (4980): 517–521. Bibcode:1990Sci...250..517T. doi:10.1126/science.250.4980.517. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   17751481. S2CID   38885327.
  5. 1 2 3 "Sarah E. Turner, Economics | Michigan Population Studies Center (PSC)". www.psc.isr.umich.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  6. ↑ "Sarah E. Turner". Curry School of Education and Human Development | University of Virginia. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  7. ↑ "Sarah E. Turner | RSF". www.russellsage.org. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  8. ↑ "Sarah Turner - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.ca. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Barr, Andrew; Turner, Sarah (2018). "A Letter and Encouragement: Does Information Increase Postsecondary Enrollment of UI Recipients?". American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. 10 (3): 42–68. doi: 10.1257/pol.20160570 . ISSN   1945-7731.
  10. ↑ Hoxby, Caroline M.; Turner, Sarah (2015). "What High-Achieving Low-Income Students Know About College". The American Economic Review. 105 (5): 514–517. doi:10.1257/aer.p20151027. ISSN   0002-8282. JSTOR   43821938. S2CID   153568095.
  11. 1 2 Bound, John; Demirci, Murat; Khanna, Gaurav; Turner, Sarah (2014). "Finishing Degrees and Finding Jobs: U.S. Higher Education and the Flow of Foreign IT Workers". doi: 10.3386/w20505 .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. 1 2 3 4 Avery, Christopher; Turner, Sarah (2012). "Student Loans: Do College Students Borrow Too Much—Or Not Enough?" (PDF). Journal of Economic Perspectives. 26 (1): 165–192. doi:10.1257/jep.26.1.165. ISSN   0895-3309.
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