In this paper we analyze longitudinal data from a nationally representative panel of college entrants to test and compare several theoretical explanations of college degree attainment and noncompletion. So far, relatively little emphasis has been placed on determining the relative and combined predictive power of competing explanations or…

This report examines the beginning of the educational experiences of students who leave college before their second year, both those who return to college later (stopouts) and those who do not return (stayouts). The report is based on data from the 1989-90 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. First-year students in 1989-90 were…

Examines the total direct and indirect effects of receiving financial aid on persistence to degree using a subsample of 1989 freshmen from the Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey. Analysis shows that although simply receiving financial aid is unrelated to persistence, the effects of financial aid on persistence appear to depend on type and…