Students who have dropped out of high school--and those at risk of doing so--are at greater risk of lifelong poverty, involvement with the criminal justice system, dependence on government welfare programs, and even premature death. In the last few years, however, the problems at high schools have compounded, as pandemic-era school closures led to…

Despite near universal acceptance in the value of higher education for individuals and society, college persistence rates in 4-year and community colleges are low. Only 57% of students who began college at a 4-year institution in 2001 had completed a bachelor's degree by 2007, and only 28% of community college students who started school in 2005…

This research probes two questions: Does participation in alternative high school programs reduce the likelihood of students dropping out? Does participation enhance experience in the labor market after students leave school? Results showed lower dropout and higher subsequent employment rates among participants who had no doubt about finishing the…

The at-risk students served by vocational education include academically disadvantaged students, dropouts, students with limited English proficiency (LEP), pregnant teens, single parents, migrants, economically disadvantaged students, handicapped students, and potential dropouts. The claim that the U.S. economy is healthy because unemployment is…

This author reports that, among high-school students who graduated in the bottom 40 percent of their classes, and whose first institutions were four-year colleges, two-thirds had not earned diplomas eight and a half years later. While four-year colleges admit and take money from hundreds of thousands of such students each year, the students who…

The follow-up component of the Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program tracked the 127 students who graduated from 1988, 1989, and 1990 Henderson State University YOU programs throughout July 1989-June 1991. Students were contacted on a monthly basis through phone calls, school counselor contacts, letters, and newsletters. Findings indicated…

The follow-up component of the Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program tracked students who graduated from YOU programs. Each participating university--Arkansas State, Henderson State, Southern Arkansas, University of Arkansas-Monticello, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and University of the Ozarks--maintained contact with its own…

The administration, purpose, and design of student financial aid programs are examined with emphasis on assuring greater access to higher education, student persistence, and providing students with incentives for performing well academically. After a brief history of financial aid and a review of selected studies on persistence, the sampling and…