This study investigates the dropout behavior of college students in the United States. Previous attrition studies have typically focused on dropout at specific points in time, such as the first year of enrollment. In this study we examine the timing of dropout over a five-year period and find that factors that affect student dropout often have effects that change over time. For instance, the results demonstrate that students who receive financial aid generally have lower dropout rates than non-aided students. But of special interest is our findings that dropout rates vary depending on the amount and timing of student financial aid.
AN OVERVIEW OF STUDENT DEPARTURE THEORY The Student Integration ModelBased on Spady's work (1970, 1971) and Durkheim's Suicide Theory (1951), Tinto developed a model designed to explain the student departure process (1975,
Prompted by the notion of ''Transfer Shock'', numerous studies examined academic performance of transfer students at senior institutions. However, few studies are found that examine how the varying nature of semester GPAs impact subsequent persistence behavior of transfer students after the initial drop in their college GPAs. Using an institutional data set, this study longitudinally investigated departure behavior of transfer students at a senior institution. Particular attention was given to how entry at different times and semester GPAs affected transfer student departure. Results indicate that during their first semester, sophomore and junior transfer students were 73% less likely to depart than freshman transfer students. After controlling for explanatory variables, higher semester GPAs were positively associated with higher persistence rates throughout the observation period.
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