A four-equation simultaneous equations model was developed to analyze whether college student effort and achievement are jointly determined. Testing with 544 undergraduate students indicated that increased student efforts in working with faculty improved their grades, but course effort and library effort had no significant effect on grade point…

A Central Missouri State University study of the effects of part-time employment on first-year grade point averages, credits earned, and second-semester retention found no significant differences between students employed in work-study or regular employment, or not employed. Implications for counseling and evaluating financial aid packages are…

Describes a study that analyzes variables affecting students' decisions to withdraw from liberal arts and science courses. Findings indicated that students with higher GPAs were more likely to withdraw from class than students with low GPAs, perhaps to preserve their averages and repeat the course with higher grades. Contains five data tables and…

In 1993, the creation of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program accelerated interest in understanding the effects of merit-based student financial aid. This article compares a sample of "borderline" HOPE recipients (students just above the eligibility threshold) with similar nonrecipients to examine differences on four college performance outcomes.…

Grade inflation has occurred in postsecondary institutions and has been accompanied by a concomitant rise in grade-point average. Nursing educators are expected to prepare competent future nurses. Because many nursing programs use grade-point average as admission, retention, and progression criteria, it is imperative that grades accurately reflect…

This study examined student departure rates from the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science at York University in Ontario (Canada) using Tinto's (1987) model of student departure. Student records from 1992-93 were used to obtain data on grades in the final year of high school, sex, language status, and amount of student financial awards received;…

In response to increased attrition at federal service academies including Department of Defense and Coast Guard Academies, a multidimensional study was conducted of proposed theoretical longitudinal attrition models. The primary goal was to determine if persisters and resignees at the Coast Guard Academy could be differentiated based on a…

An overview is provided of the enrollment patterns and academic progress of the fall 1986 new student cohort at St. Louis Community College (SLCC), the first cohort included in the college's longitudinal tracking system. The report highlights the following findings about the 5,993 students who were tracked through spring 1991: (1) 57.6% of the…

Factors related to retention of federal financial aid recipients in the 1974-1975 freshman class at Florida State University were studied. For 615 aid recipients, attention was directed to the type of federal aid received, amount of money awarded, family income, ethnicity, age, sex, and academic ability. Major findings include: high school grade…

A study was conducted at Mount San Antonio College (MSAC), California, to analyze patterns in credit course retention between fall 1986 and spring 1989. The study investigated the development of course prerequisites based on faculty perceptions of the skills necessary for success and minimal skill levels associated with success; student assessment…

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a measure of personality type and learning style, was used at Saint Louis University in the TRAILS (Tracking Retention and Academic Integration by Learning Style) Project. In addition to considering links between learning styles and student academic achievement and aptitude, MBTI was used to identify…

In spring 1985, a study was conducted at Broome Community College (BCC) in New York to determine the relationship between the number of hours students worked per week, their grade point average (GPA), and persistence in college and the conditions that may influence this relationship. The American College Testing Program Student Opinion Survey was…

The background concerning educational programs and practices designed to promote the development, retention, and grade point averages of black college students is traced. The literature reveals historical events and legislative statutes that brought a system of educational inequality to blacks in America. A dual educational system has meant that…

The effect of college orientation experiences on student grade point average (GPA) and persistence toward the degree was studied at Montana State University. Two groups of students were compared: 131 students who attended a 3-day orientation during the summer before their freshman year, and 97 freshmen who attended large group sessions just before…

Studies about engineering students and their success and attrition in college are numerous and diverse. One set of research efforts has focused on the differences between academically successful and unsuccessful engineering students. Personality characteristics, academic preparation, and work values are among the variables which have been analyzed…