Students leaving institutions of higher education prior to graduation leads to millions of dollars in lost revenue (Sutter & Paulsen, 2016; Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates, 2018). Retention theorists Tinto (1975) and Kuh (2008) recommend practices such as academic interaction, social interaction, faculty engagement with students,…

This study uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine the effect of childhood trauma experiences on college graduation rates. A longitudinal mediation path analysis with a binary logistic regression is performed using trauma as a mediator between race, gender, first-generation status and college completion. The…

Background: Increasing the persistence of engineering transfer students can help meet the US national priority of increasing the number of engineering graduates. Many transfer students experience a decrease in their grade point average (GPA) at their receiving institution, known as transfer shock, which can lead to them leaving the institution.…

This phenomenological qualitative study examined the student experience in an online course for Youth Formerly in Foster Care (YFFC), specifically, the challenges in learning in an online course and the environmental protective factors and personal strengths utilized to successfully complete an online course with a C or better. YFFC lag behind…

The Pell Grant is targeted to students with the greatest financial need, and many policymakers find the Pell Grant a useful policy lever for promoting access and success for students from lower- and moderate-income backgrounds. There are several examples where policymakers use Pell eligibility to allocate resources and hold colleges accountable…

Analyzing degree attainment data over a 30-year period, the authors found that relative to their enrollment, HBCUs overproduce Black graduates who obtain education degrees compared to non-HBCUs. Furthermore, Black men receiving education degrees at HBCUs do so at higher rates than their overall enrollment. Implications for school districts,…

Roughly 40% of first-time freshman enter college at two-year institutions (Ginder, et al., 2015) and between roughly 70 to 80% of students enrolled at two-year institutions report the intent to continue their education to earn a bachelor's degree (Jenkins & Fink, 2016; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). However, less than half of the…

The "South Carolina Higher Education Statistical Abstract" is a comprehensive, single-source compilation of tables and graphs which report data frequently requested by the governor, legislators, college and university staff, other state government officials, and the general public. The 2022 edition of the "Statistical Abstract"…

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty…

Low-income, first-generation (LIFG) student enrollment into postsecondary education programs has been steadily increasing over the last decade. These two groups of marginalized students are habitually overlooked regarding the need for additional supports as they often lack any visual indicators of their LIFG status. LIFG students arrive on-campus…

This study compared graduation rates between traditional high school students and high school students enrolled in Career and Technology Education courses in South Carolina. The research questions were based on the students' graduation rates as related to gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The data was retrieved from the South…

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) into two-page sheets on a variety of subjects. This fact sheet focuses on: (1) State-Level High School Graduation Rate Percentages for English Learners: School Year 2017-18; (2) Graduation Rate Percentages for English Learners by State: School Year…

Individuals with autism increasingly enroll in universities, but researchers know little about how their study progresses over time towards degree completion. This exploratory population study uses structural equation modeling to examine patterns in study progression and degree completion of bachelor's students with autism spectrum disorder (n =…

Recent years have seen a major decline in community college enrollments across the country. Although the market to attract secondary school students contains many pathways, the overall marketplace is very competitive as most schools are competing for the same body of students. The adult market is the largest and most neglected group of potential…

Qualitative research is often overlooked in regards to policy development and practices. This is due to the critique that it lacks the capability to determine cause and effect in educational settings. The advent of qualitative metasynthesis has provided one route to such studies becoming more generalizable. This study implements such a study in…