63 Appendix 4: Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Appendices Appendix 4: Frequently asked questions (FAQs) This appendix provides answers to some frequently asked questions about the results. What is economic impact analysis? Economic impact analysis quantifies the impact from a given economic event—in this case, the presence of a program—on the economy of a specified region. What is investment analysis? Investment analysis is a standard method for determining whether or not an existing or proposed investment is economically viable. This methodology is appropriate in situations where a stakeholder puts up a certain amount of money with the expectation of receiving benefits in return, where the benefits that the stakeholder receives are distributed over time, and where a discount rate must be applied in order to account for the time value of money. Do the results differ by region, and if so, why? Yes. Regional economic data are drawn from Lightcast’s proprietary MR-SAM model, the Census Bureau, and other sources to reflect the specific earnings levels, jobs numbers, unemployment rates, population demographics, and other key characteristics of the region served by the program. Therefore, model results for the program are specific to the given region. How do my college’s rates of return compare to that of other institutions? In general, Lightcast discourages comparisons between institutions since many factors, such as regional economic conditions, institutional differences, and student demographics are outside of the college’s control. It is best to compare the rate of return to the discount rates of 4.4% (for students) and 0.2% (for taxpayers), which can also be seen as the opportunity cost of the investment (since these stakeholder groups could be spending their time and money in other investment schemes besides education). If the rate of return is higher than the discount rate, the stakeholder groups can expect to receive a positive return on their educational investment.
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