Evaluation of the Federal Talent Search Program: Phase II and Phase III Feasibility Report.

Assesses the feasibility of estimating the impacts of the program, which helps disadvantaged middle school and high school students prepare for, apply to, get financial aid for, and begin attending college. Examines three evaluation options: 1) estimating impacts of the program as a whole in the entire U.S. using administrative data; 2) estimating impacts of the program as a whole within selected states using administrative data; 3) estimating impacts of specific program components using a random assignment demonstration and new data collected through surveys. The sponsoring agency, the U.S. Department of Education, deemed the second evaluation option as optimally feasible and cost-effective.