Performance-based scholarships may help low-income students succeed at community colleges, according to a study released today by the MDRC, a public-policy research group in New York.

The study found that students who received the scholarships at two community colleges in Louisiana in the 2004-5 academic year were more likely than their peers to register full time, to persist from one semester to another, and to earn higher grades.

Recipients of the scholarships, most of whom were single mothers, received $1,000 grants — in three separate payments — in each of two semesters if they met two conditions: They were enrolled at least half time and maintained a C average or better.

Two-thirds of the students said they had used the scholarships to buy books and school supplies, and nearly half used it to pay bills or cover transportation and child-care costs.

More information about the MDRC’s study and a report describing the findings, “Rewarding Persistence: Effects of a Performance-Based Scholarship Program for Low-Income Parents,” is available on the organization’s Web site. —Eric Hoover