The utility of personality measures as predictors of voluntary withdrawal from college was investigated. Four criterion groups were formed: high-achieving persisters and withdrawals, and low-achieving persisters and withdrawals. Two significant discriminant functions were found and interpreted as academic aptitude and social immaturity. (Author/GK)

A study explored 97 college freshmen's perceived stress and persistence as a function of attachment style. Students with secure attachment reported significantly less perceived stress than those with insecure attachment. Fewer students with secure attachment quit college than did students with insecure attachment. Stress scores and grade point…

A common justification for state-sponsored merit scholarships like Georgia's HOPE program is to promote academic achievement. However, grade-based retention rules encourage other behavioral responses. Using longitudinal records of enrolled undergraduates at the University of Georgia between 1989 and 1997, we estimate the effects of HOPE on…

This article derives from local research at two UK universities as part of their institutional strategies to address retention and progression and enhance their students' experiences of higher education. In both Middlesex University and the University of Salford, research has been undertaken to identify factors which influence the retention and…

The first phase of a study to predict retention and withdrawal among disadvantaged students at an urban commuter institution is described. Variable selection for the study was guided by Tinto's (1975) and Bean's (1982) models. Pilot testing was undertaken to estimate some psychometric characteristics of Pascarella and Terenzini's institutional…

Investigates potential ethnic differences between Hispanic and Angelo-American college freshman that may increase their risk of drinking and problem behaviors in an attempt to understand Hispanic's low college retention rate. Findings identified key family, social, personality, and problem behaviors associated with students' retention rates and…

Freshmen attitudes toward the chemistry curriculum were compared with their attitudes and academic career patterns after four years. Using discriminant analysis, it was possible to predict about 70 percent of those who would remain chemistry majors. (MSE)

In general, students receiving financial aid in their freshman year show greater academic persistence than nonreceivers, but increasing amounts of aid per semester have nonsignificant negative impacts on the number of semesters attended in a four-year period. Persistence may be hampered by increasing loan burdens on students. (MSE)

A five-scale instrument developed from a theoretical model of college attrition correctly identified the persistence/voluntary withdrawal decisions of 78.5 percent of 773 freshmen in a large, residential university. Findings showed that student relationships with faculty were particularly important. (Author/PHR)

The experience of students withdrawing from a university in their first year is explored. Students' perceptions of the factors which influenced their withdrawal decisions are examined. Findings support the hypothesis that the main factor influencing withdrawal/persistence behavior is the degree to which students can adjust to the new academic and…

Selected aspects of the remedial reading-writing program of Miami-Dade Junior College were evaluated. Placement in the program was designed as the independent variable. Grade point average, reading and writing test scores, continuation in college, and performance in regular college courses were dependent variables. Students earning a raw score of…

Multiple group discriminant analysis was employed to determine the utility of preenrollment traits and academic performance in identifying freshman students who persisted, stopped out, or withdrew early. After first-quarter academic performance, relatively clear distinctions can be made between students who persist and those who do not.…

Results are reported from a study that attempted to find the objective effects of a 3-month high school teachers' strike on 134 first year university students. Findings indicate that no important differences existed between strike students and others with regard to grades, failures, or withdrawals. (IAH)

A logit model was developed, using historical data, to identify characteristics inherent in a college student's decision to withdraw from college. Once the model was derived, predicted probabilities of retention for an incoming freshman class were computed, and a program for monitoring high-risk students' progress was developed. (Author/MSE)

This paper reports the results of a telephone survey of 151 undergraduates who withdrew in their first year of study at a post-1992 institution. It focuses on the negative experiences which they reported during their time at the university and the ultimate reasons for leaving, exploring in particular issues around choice of course, academic…