<< Back to Faculty Benjamin Castleman Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy Education & Training Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2013 A.B. Honors, Environmental Studies, Brown University, 2000 617-299-0279 castleman@virginia.edu Ruffner Hall 262 Curriculum Vitae @bencastleman Courses taught Education Policy Areas of focus Education UVA partners EdPolicyWorks: Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness Curry School of Education Ben Castleman is an Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Ben’s research focuses on policies to improve college access and success for low-income students. Several of his papers examine innovative strategies to deliver high-quality information about the college-going process to low-income students and their families, and to ease the process of students and families getting professional support when they need assistance. He has conducted several randomized trials to investigate how the offer of additional support during the summer after high school impacts the rate and quality of low-income students’ college enrollment. In addition, Ben uses quasi-experimental methods to study the impact of state and federal need-based grant programs on students’ long-term collegiate outcomes. His research has been featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, as well as in Time Magazine, USA Today, and the Huffington Post. Batten's Castleman One of Three UVA Faculty to be Honored by White House for Early Career Accomplishments News The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers at the beginning of their research careers. Batten Faculty Dominate the University's New Public Service Awards Program News UVA’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost created a new awards program to commend faculty for the contributions their public service makes to student learning, the advancement of scholarship and creative activity, and the University’s own public mission. Batten's Castleman Wants to "Nudge" First-Generation Students Over the Finish Line—and Beyond News Ben Castleman is taking a great idea to the next level. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Investigating Rates and Patterns of Financial Aid Renewal Among College Freshmen Research College affordability continues to be a top concern among prospective students, their families, and policy makers. Prior work has demonstrated that a significant share of prospective students forgo financial aid because they did not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); recent federal policy efforts have focused on supporting students and their families to successfully file the FAFSA. Intensive College Counseling and the Enrollment and Persistence of Low Income Students Research Though counseling is one commonly pursued intervention to improve college enrollment and completion for disadvantaged students, there is relatively little causal evidence on its efficacy. We use a regression discontinuity design to study the impact of intensive college counseling provided to college-seeking, low income students by a Massachusetts program that admits applicants partly on the basis of a minimum GPA requirement. Freshman year financial aid nudges: An experiment to increase FAFSA renewal and college persistence Research In this paper we investigate, through a randomized controlled trial design, the impact of a personalized text messaging intervention designed to encourage college freshmen to refile their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and maintain their financial aid for sophomore year. The intervention produced large and positive effects among freshmen at community colleges where text recipients were almost 14 percentage points more likely to remain continuously enrolled through the Spring of sophomore year. Decision Making for Student Success: Behavioral Insights to Improve College Access and Persistence Research Scholars from the fields of behavioral economics, education, and public policy explore contemporary research on decision-making and highlight behavioral insights that can improve postsecondary access and success. Written in collaboration with Saul Schwartz, Professor of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University, Canada and Sandy Baum, Research Professor of Education Policy at George Washington University and a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, USA. View All
Batten's Castleman One of Three UVA Faculty to be Honored by White House for Early Career Accomplishments News The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers at the beginning of their research careers.
Batten Faculty Dominate the University's New Public Service Awards Program News UVA’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost created a new awards program to commend faculty for the contributions their public service makes to student learning, the advancement of scholarship and creative activity, and the University’s own public mission.
Batten's Castleman Wants to "Nudge" First-Generation Students Over the Finish Line—and Beyond News Ben Castleman is taking a great idea to the next level.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Investigating Rates and Patterns of Financial Aid Renewal Among College Freshmen Research College affordability continues to be a top concern among prospective students, their families, and policy makers. Prior work has demonstrated that a significant share of prospective students forgo financial aid because they did not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); recent federal policy efforts have focused on supporting students and their families to successfully file the FAFSA.
Intensive College Counseling and the Enrollment and Persistence of Low Income Students Research Though counseling is one commonly pursued intervention to improve college enrollment and completion for disadvantaged students, there is relatively little causal evidence on its efficacy. We use a regression discontinuity design to study the impact of intensive college counseling provided to college-seeking, low income students by a Massachusetts program that admits applicants partly on the basis of a minimum GPA requirement.
Freshman year financial aid nudges: An experiment to increase FAFSA renewal and college persistence Research In this paper we investigate, through a randomized controlled trial design, the impact of a personalized text messaging intervention designed to encourage college freshmen to refile their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and maintain their financial aid for sophomore year. The intervention produced large and positive effects among freshmen at community colleges where text recipients were almost 14 percentage points more likely to remain continuously enrolled through the Spring of sophomore year.
Decision Making for Student Success: Behavioral Insights to Improve College Access and Persistence Research Scholars from the fields of behavioral economics, education, and public policy explore contemporary research on decision-making and highlight behavioral insights that can improve postsecondary access and success. Written in collaboration with Saul Schwartz, Professor of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University, Canada and Sandy Baum, Research Professor of Education Policy at George Washington University and a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, USA.
