A Longitudinal Investigation of Dropout from College in the United States

Abstract

This study investigates the dropout behavior of college students in the United States. Previous attrition studies have typically focused on dropout at specific points in time, such as the first year of enrollment. In this study we examine the timing of dropout over a five-year period and find that factors that affect student dropout often have effects that change over time. For instance, the results demonstrate that students who receive financial aid generally have lower dropout rates than non-aided students. But of special interest is our findings that dropout rates vary depending on the amount and timing of student financial aid.