Australian university students who are the first in their family to attend university are more likely to encounter challenges in their transition to university, and programs to support students are important for success and retention. Fifteen first-in-family (FiF) students participated in an Australian-first pilot orientation program. Program…

Students from low-income families consistently trail behind their peers in retention and degree attainment. Research on college student experiences suggests that low-income students experience "cultural mismatch" at college--they feel that their backgrounds are at odds with the middle-class values dominant on campus (Armstrong &…

Over the past five decades, numerous theories about college student attrition have attempted to explain student departure. Conclusions drawn by the literature broadly acknowledge that students are less likely to depart if they are academically engaged and socially integrated with the campus. Further, students who reside in a campus residence hall…

Research is beginning to demonstrate that sophomores are unique in their academic and developmental needs, yet little is known about how college sophomores' satisfaction with their collegiate experience influences their persistence decisions. This study utilized logistic regression to predict college sophomores' persistence based on student…

The purpose of this study was to examine what effect the Freshmen Interest Group (FIG) program, a variation of a non-residential learning community had on academic achievement scores and institutional rates of persistence. Study variables included: gender; race; pre-collegiate academic achievement (GPA scores); educational preferences (major…

This study examined Hocking College female students who were enrolled engineering majors from 2001-2007, and comparatively examined female students who were enrolled in different programs within other majors. Specifically examined were student persistence two quarters postengineering studies, student persistence to graduation, student persistence…

Based on a previous report comparing commuter and resident freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park, the analysis of the similarities and differences of commuter and resident students is extended in the students' third year of college. Dependent commuters (defined as living at home or with other relatives) were compared to students…

In 1980, a study was conducted to determine the student dropout rate at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster and the characteristics of typical dropout students. Data were obtained for 99% of the 736 students enrolled during fall 1980 with respect to variables including race, sex, marital status, age, major, day/evening schedule,…