This randomized trial investigates the long-term effects of a primary school scholarship program in rural Cambodia. We estimate impacts—9 years after program inception—on educational attainment, cognitive skills, socio-emotional outcomes, labor market outcomes, and well-being. Our results point to systematic improvements in educational attainment but no average impacts on long-term cognitive or socio-emotional outcomes. A merit-based (as opposed to poverty-based) targeting strategy did, however, increase cognitive outcomes, especially for poorer students. The results suggest positive effects on cognition for males. We find no improvements in labor market outcomes, yet positive effects on well-being, driven by recipients of merit-based scholarships. These findings shed light on the complex relationship between barriers to primary schooling and long-term outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted approaches that consider both socioeconomic factors and individual merit, while also raising important questions about gender dynamics.

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小学奖学金的长期影响：来自柬埔寨的证据

这项随机试验调查了柬埔寨农村地区小学奖学金计划的长期影响。我们评估了项目启动 9 年后对教育程度、认知技能、社会情感结果、劳动力市场结果和福祉的影响。我们的结果表明，教育程度得到了系统性的提高，但对长期认知或社会情感结果没有平均影响。然而，基于成绩（而不是基于贫困）的目标策略确实提高了认知结果，特别是对于贫困学生而言。结果表明对男性认知有积极影响。我们发现劳动力市场结果没有改善，但在择优奖学金获得者的推动下，对福祉产生了积极影响。这些发现揭示了小学教育障碍与长期结果之间的复杂关系，强调需要采取既考虑社会经济因素又考虑个人优点的有针对性的方法，同时也提出了有关性别动态的重要问题。