Since the National Defense Education Act of 1958, a primary objective of federal higher education policy has been to increase access to higher education for those who would not otherwise attend, especially those from low income backgrounds. Increasing attention is now being paid to enhancing student retention and graduation, making sure that students not only get in the door of higher education but also are successful in staying there through the completion of a degree. This paper provides a broad survey of what is known about why students leave college before completing their program of study. It also presents strategies that are successful in promoting retention and graduation and offers suggestions for federal policy directions to improve retention. The information and recommendations contained in this paper are aimed at informing the discussions surrounding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. (Contains 6 footnotes.)