Data and Code for: Upping the Ante: The Equilibrium Effects of Unconditional Grants to Private Schools

We assess whether financing can help private schools, which now account for one- third of primary school enrollment in low- and middle-income countries. Our ex- periment allocated unconditional cash grants to either one (L) or all (H) private schools in a village. In both arms, enrollment and revenues increased, leading to above market returns. However, test scores increased only in H schools, accompanied by higher fees, and a greater focus on teachers. We provide a model demonstrating that market forces can provide endogenous incentives to increase quality and increased financial saturation can be used to leverage competition, generating socially desirable outcomes.