This study presents data and findings on student retention at South Texas Community College (STCC) and recommends steps to improve retention rates. STCC groups attrition into three categories: (1) positive attrition, due to graduation, completion or transfer; (2) neutral attrition, due to non-institutional conflicts; and (3) negative attrition,…

The impact of student input characteristics and college environments on types and amounts of financial aid received by men and women are studied. A demographic description of federal student financial aid recipients can be valuable to policy makers in evaluating the degree of success in providing aid to target populations. (MLW)

A study of 343 African-American university freshmen showed interest in various career issues useful to advisors. Students most often reported attending college for job-related reasons, with males more likely than females to leave college to take a job. However, females were less sure of getting a job after graduation. A career advising model based…

A study using High School and Beyond longitudinal-survey data found students from disrupted families were less likely to apply to, be admitted to, or attend four-year colleges, and less likely to attend a selective college. Differences in family resource levels accounted for the largest proportion of the difference in college choice between…

In this study, the researcher developed an instrument to assess college attendance motivations in order to assess the motivations of 179 entering Hispanic freshmen and to explore the relationship between demographics and motivation. Student motivations formed a hierarchy with knowledge at the top, followed by self-improvement, job enhancement,…

This book combines findings of existing research with fresh evidence supplied from a sample of institutions regarding noncompletion rates of mature students in postcompulsory education. Chapter 1 considers the changes that have taken place in postcompulsory education and the implications of having an expanded and more diverse student population.…

This report describes policies and practices than can help administrators, faculty, and states improve the rate of transfer between two- and four-year colleges. Sections of the report focus on: (1) "Helping Students Who Transfer from Two-Year to Four-Year Colleges," focusing on the important of transfer programs and opportunities in…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, this study examined factors related to postsecondary education enrollment, focusing on the impact of early indicators and financial aid. Major findings of the report indicated the following: (1) a majority of students, 63 percent by 1994, attended some type of postsecondary…

A study was conducted at a medium-sized California community college to identify the characteristics of students who had previously dropped out of college and then returned to the community college and the influences on their decision to re-enroll for college credit. Surveys were mailed to 396 stopouts, asking them to rate the significance of…

This study of 1993 Kansas National Merit Semifinalists (NMSFs) examines which colleges/universities students are attending during the fall of 1993 and provides related data concerning the chosen institutions. Information was gathered from 67 high schools concerning enrollments for 159 of the 169 NMSFs in the Kansas class of 1993. Data were…

This paper estimates the effect of a $150 fee increase for the spring semester 1993 on within-year persistence at a large urban institution of higher education, the University of New Orleans (Louisiana). Institutional enrollment projections are estimated using price response measures for three populations (undergraduates 22 years of age and under,…

This study examines the impact of family structure, poverty level, and region of residence on educational attainment. The study uses data collected by the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, with a probability sample of 3,854 men and women aged 14 to 18 in 1979. Logistic regression was used to allow for the analysis of dichotomous dependent…

As a part of its academic planning process, every two years J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (JSRCC) assesses the postsecondary plans of the seniors in the local public high schools. Seniors are asked whether they intend to attend a two-year or four-year college initially, and those planning to enroll at JSRCC are asked to identify the…

A study investigating the usefulness of a model of student persistence in external degree programs (developed from the Bean and Metzner 1985 model) is discussed. Sample students aged 23 or older who were matriculated in such a program were used, as it was noted that the attrition rate for nontraditional students is higher than for traditional…

A telephone survey of 1,500 registered voters in California was conducted to determine perceptions of California's community colleges; members and attitudes of the two-year college student community; views of college funding, finances, budgets, and policy control; unemployed residents' views of the community colleges; and media habits. Study…