This study is an in-depth policy review and examination of the impact of the Louisiana Board of Regents' outcomes-based funding formula on graduation rates at Southern University at New Orleans. The findings are meant to serve as a guide for policymakers to align institutional programs and policies with the metrics of the funding formula to best…

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and…

The first-year seminar (FYS) has been widely implemented at colleges and universities as a strategy for facilitating student success. However, empirical evidence indicates that the observed effects of FYS on retention and academic performance are mixed. Drawing on data from first-time full-time degree-seeking cohorts from Fall 2010 through Fall…

In December 2020, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education released projections for future high school graduating classes in its 10th edition of "Knocking at the College Door" [ED610996]. At the time, it was unknown whether or not the projections based on pre-pandemic data would match the reality to come. This report…

This article extends a line of research on intentional change at public metropolitan research universities that aims to improve undergraduate student success (as measured by graduation and retention rates) while improving access (as measured by Pell and minority rates). Some of the issues that have emerged from this line of research involve the…

Data in this report reflect responses from 86 four-year private institutions that collectively enroll approximately 261,189 undergraduate students (according to data reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)). Respondents participated in the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) national electronic poll of "Effective…

The withdrawal of students from Principles of Chemistry courses is a major problem for STEM retention and graduation rates, which are topics of national interest. In order to implement effective intervention methods to reduce withdrawal rates, we must understand the underlying reasons why students withdraw. This paper presents a multimethod study…

Today higher education in the United States faces the challenges of increased demand and escalating cost in the face of stagnant graduation rates. Of particular interest to the public are tax payer supported postsecondary institutions. The traditional method of funding public colleges and universities based on enrollment has shifted in 32 states…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether participating in a collaborative intensive service-learning program, Jumpstart, is associated with positive student academic outcomes. Specifically, the retention and graduation rates, and years to degree of students who participated in Jumpstart were compared to students who participated in a…

Certain student populations including youth formerly in foster care, first-generation college students, those with mental illness and substance abuse issues, and racial and ethnic minority students, face persistent challenges to their pursuit of college education, contributing to low graduation rates compared to their peers. This article details…

The purpose of the study was to investigate how promoting participation in KEY Careers, a career intervention program available to all incoming matriculates, influenced 1-year retention and 4-year graduation rates compared to nonparticipants at a singular institution. Archival data of 14,099 matriculates from the 2011-2014 freshman fall cohorts…

Youth and young adults experiencing homelessness face many challenges while pursuing postsecondary credentials. Low education attainment is occurring in higher education institutions across the county, with more than a quarter of first-year college students not returning for their second year in community college. This National Center for Homeless…

Placement policies are intended to match students with appropriate courses in order to improve student success, but how do you evaluate these policies? In this article, we evaluate four placement policies at Towson University by considering three categories of outcomes: long-term outcomes such as graduation and retention rates, short-term or…

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between Navigate, a technology-aided advisement platform to support student success, and the retention of full-time, First Time in College-Direct Entry students in the fall 2018 and 2019 cohorts, as measured by the number of credits attempted during their first year at public college in the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) on academic performance of non-traditional students and perceived experiences of its recent graduates at a public state college in Georgia. A mixed-methods design was employed for data collection including (1) year-to-year retention rates of 480 SSS and…