Dad? The high school biology teacher? A childhood friend? Understanding who students believe influences their degree persistence will improve student retention and degree attainment. This study examined relationships between student perceptions of close social groups' (i.e., family, friends, and educators; FFEs) influence, motivational factors,…

The purpose of this investigation was to develop an ultra-short questionnaire that reliably predicted re-enrollment. Two binary stepwise logistic regressions were performed using re-enrollment status as the criterion. The first regression, conducted with a subsample of 4619 undergraduates, reduced 32 items drawn from the College Persistence…

This paper reports on the feasibility of "The Study Place Project" (TSP[superscript 2] ), a novel intervention designed to improve academic achievement and retention for first-year college students. Our aim was to provide students with regular study sessions in a minimal distraction environment, allowing them to apply their own…

The relationship between domain-specific nonintellective variables and academic achievement among nontraditional students was explored to address uninvestigated factors and clarify distinctions between nontraditional and traditional student achievement. College students (nontraditional n = 72, traditional n = 67) completed an online survey…

The current study examined whether it is possible to increase college students' intention to earn a four-year degree with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Three research questions were examined: (1) Can the TPB predict traditional undergraduates' graduation intention? (2) Does graduation intention differ by traditional students' year of…

This brief report assesses the validity of applying the adolescent-based developmental assets model to emerging adults. Developmental assets are specific constructs which predict future success, including positive individual characteristics and environmental resources. The researchers developed a self-report survey based on a subset of the assets…

This study examined the relationship of tech prep and dual credit to college readiness in reading, writing, and math and retention, measured as total college-level credit hours earned. A sample of 612 high school graduates who enrolled in a community college in two consortia, one in Florida (<i>n</i> = 339) and the other in Oregon…

Professional Development Engagement (PDE) is defined as "the level of undergraduate engagement in professional development." It reflects career-related work preparation for "life after college" and is a distinct externally-focused component of student engagement (SE). The increased college retention and subsequent job placement…

College student success and graduation are important to students seeking a degree and to the nation's communities (Institute for Higher Education Policy, 1998), yet only just better than half of the students who enroll in 4-year colleges and universities will receive a bachelor's degree within 6 years (Astin, 1985). Past studies have shown that…

The acquisition of credit card debt by college students has long been a topic of concern. This study explores relationships among debt, undesirable academic behaviors and cognitions, and academic performance, through surveys of 338 students in a public university, replicating two past measures of credit card debt and creating new measures of…

College retention and graduation rates are significantly lower for African American and Hispanic American students. Limited research has been conducted on the relationship between academic motivation and perceived social support. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of social support as a predictor of academic motivation and…

This study sought to determine if very early college experiences impact academic outcomes. Specifically, this study used regression models to investigate whether academic integration, social integration, and institutional commitment measured during the third week of the first semester could predict retention to the following year as well as…

First-generation female college students (FGFCS) make up a large portion of the diversity in higher education. Unfortunately "access" to education does not translate to success. Persistence and degree completion for these students is often undermined by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The purposes of this study were to identify the financial…

The purpose of this quantitative research study is to identify variables that lead students to having thoughts of leaving their institution, talking with someone about leaving their institution, or taking steps to leave their institution. This attrition study identifies variables that institutional faculty, administrators, and staff can address…

Previous research and retention interventions have been primarily targeted towards the freshmen, first-year experience (Gardner, Pattengale, & Schreiner, 2000; Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000) and yet, sophomores are a uniquely vulnerable group with increasing levels of dissatisfaction and attrition (Boivin, Fountain, & Baylis, 2000).This article…