The $50 Study is a large-scale randomized controlled trial conducted by Rooted School Foundation to evaluate the impact of a direct-cash transfer program on high-school aged individuals. Over a period of two years, 470 high school students in grades 9-12 will participate in the study, with some students randomized into a treatment group receiving $50 per week unconditionally for 40 weeks, while others will be randomized into a control group receiving no cash. The primary research questions of the study revolve around the effects of cash transfers on financial hardship, financial capability, upward economic mobility, and academic achievement. Rooted School Foundation is partnered with schools in New Orleans, Louisiana and Indianapolis, Indiana to complete this study.
