Latinx student enrollment in college has dramatically increased in recent years, yet they are more likely than other racial groups to enroll at open access and public two-year institutions (Rodriguez, 2015). While public-two-year sector provides an encouraging postsecondary pathway for Latinx students, only 13% of all community college students…

Literature suggests that international students from Asian countries might differ in the way they can be supported in their efforts towards completing their degree. Using the 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, the authors investigate how social and academic integration relate to the college persistence of Asian and…

For many underrepresented minority students, the path to the baccalaureate degree begins with initial enrollment at a community college. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of students interested in transferring actually do transfer to a 4-year institution. Of these transfers, few graduate with a baccalaureate degree within 6 years of initial…

Recent trends in the financing of higher education have increased the urgency of understanding how financial aid affects degree attainment among college students. Specifically, increased reliance on loans in the composition of financial aid packages renders it critical for policymakers and institutional leaders to understand the impact of…

A study investigated the college application behaviors of students from different racial/ethnic groups (Whites, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans) to understand differences in the college search and choice process. Data were drawn from two large national longitudinal studies, the National Education Longitudinal Study (1988)…

This report uses data from the third follow-up of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study to project postsecondary outcomes of the high school class of 1992. Specifically, the study tracked, over a four-year period, the paths of college-qualified students who first enrolled in a…

The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) study followed a group of students who began their postsecondary education in the 1989-90 academic year. The follow-up in the spring of 1992 explored the persistence and degree attainment of these beginners (approximately 10,600 students). As expected, many initially enrolled for programs of less than 4…