University enrolment, family income and gender in Italy

This paper looks at the relation existing between family income, university enrolment and gender in Italy. Using the Bank of Italy SHIW I investigate the relationship existing between university enrolment decision and family income to see whether an almost free University system can really ensure equality of opportunity. Furthermore I investigate if family income effect is gender based and I find that there exists more inequality in education for females than for males. Using different estimation approaches to solve potential endogenenity bias, I find that family income plays a role in the enrolment decision and that its effect is bigger for female. Finally I model the probability to enrol in university conditional on the completion of high school and I find that family income has a bigger effect in high school completion, in particular for females.