A different viewpoint on student retention

Abstract

Although student retention, persistence, and graduation is a high priority for institutions and policymakers, graduation rates are not improving. Nowadays, more students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds have access to traditional higher education. However, an educational system that fails to prepare many students for higher education and the growing costs of attending college are making it more and more difficult for many students to persist and graduate. Ultimately, we might need to decide, on a policy basis, who we want to go to college, who we want to succeed, and who will pay for it.