Nearly all states in the United States (45) currently have a postsecondary attainment goal to improve the average education levels of their residents and develop a highly-educated workforce. During a time of accelerated COVID-19 related postsecondary enrollment declines, the question as to how states will meet these goals could be particularly…

This qualitative study aims to provide insight into why teacher candidates, interested in pursuing K-12 teaching, made the decision to leave their traditional teacher preparation programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers utilized sociocultural theory as the framework to ground the research. The study finds the educational disruption…

College students may sometimes feel they need to take a break from college life. These students may return to their original campus, may transfer, or may permanently discontinue their educations. For colleges and universities pursuing positive enrollment management outcomes, these students represent opportunities to make measurable improvements in…

The high stop-out rate of low-SES students in higher education is a significant challenge, with these students stopping out at nearly triple the rate of their peers. Beyond financial, academic, and psychosocial hurdles, a lower sense of belonging further hinders their success, especially when they attempt to resume their educational journey. This…

The purpose of this research is to better understand the factors in students' lives that determine why they fail to earn a degree and how institutions retain or recruit back stopouts for completion of certificates and degrees. Degree completion is a national, state, and institutional priority as all groups are falling short on meeting degree…

This study addresses the problem of low-income, first-generation college students who are academically successful, but choose to leave college before finishing due to financial constraints. This study investigates their lived experiences as well as the effects of a peer mentorship program where incoming, first-year, low-income, first-generation…

This qualitative phenomenological research study used narrative inquiry to examine the perceptions of recent high school graduate SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) regarding secondary school support systems. The study aimed to discover factors that support acculturation of SLIFE and impact their persistence through to…

Community college enrollment has significantly declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the spring 2020 term and the spring 2022 term, community college enrollment declined by nearly 17 percent nationwide. This alarming trend has posed a threat to the well-being of community colleges and the students they serve, which includes…

This brief examines enrollment patterns, demographics, education patterns, and financial aid use for Minnesota undergraduate students who are adult learners. The analysis also explores the changes in those patterns and characteristics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For purposes of this brief, the differing characteristics of two important…

The ubiquitous roadblocks to university graduation have been investigated, identified, and interrogated for 7 decades, yet the mystery of retaining students to graduation continues to elude even the most prestigious universities. This researcher's approach to increasing graduation began with the concession that increasingly, students may leave…

Despite a college degree being a prerequisite for economic and social mobility, many low-income students graduate at far lower rates than students from wealthier families. Existing research suggests that low-income students are more likely to attend college less prepared to succeed once they get there, experience financial challenges, have…

Few studies consider how non-cognitive factors shape outcomes for students served by Promise programs, which are programs that guarantee tuition-free college attendance within a specified geographic area. This single-institution study examined differences between enrolled and stopped-out Kalamazoo Promise scholars' (N = 142) basic needs,…

Low student success rates are widespread in American higher education. More than a quarter of freshmen do not return for their second year; at community colleges, it is 41 percent. In 2019, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center identified 36 million adults who had some postsecondary experience but had yet to earn any type of…

During the activity of the Interim Treasury Committee for Polish Questions from 7 July 1945 to 31 March 1947, several thousand Polish citizens were given the opportunity to study abroad. Despite their difficult financial situation, they strove to continue studying, where this had been disrupted before the war, or started studying anew. Such an…

Reverse credit transfer (RCT) is an emerging policy designed to award associate's degrees to students who transfer from 2-year to 4-year colleges after transfer. The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of RCT degree receipt on students' university and labor outcomes using data from Texas, where the legislature passed RCT policy in…