ERIC Number: EJ1031274
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0737-7363
EISSN: N/A
If Life Happened but a Degree Didn't: Examining Factors That Impact Adult Student Persistence
Bergman, Mathew; Gross, Jacob P. K.; Berry, Matt; Shuck, Brad
Journal of Continuing Higher Education, v62 n2 p90-101 2014
Roughly half of all undergraduate students in the United States fail to persist to degree completion (American College Testing [ACT], 2010; Tinto, 1993; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2013). Adult students often have higher levels of attrition than traditional-age students (Justice & Dornan, 2001; Noel-Levitz, 2011). This study uses theoretical underpinnings from Bean and Metzner (1985) and Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon (2004) to develop and apply a conceptual model of adult student persistence. We explore the effects of (1) student entry characteristics, (2) external (i.e., extra-institutional) environments, and (3) campus environments on adult students' persistence. The context is a research-intensive, public, urban institution in the United States. We find that educational aspirations, institutional responsiveness, and familial encouragement play significant and positive roles in helping adult students remain enrolled and graduate.
Descriptors: Adult Students, Academic Achievement, Nontraditional Students, Educational Attainment, Family Influence, Family Involvement, College Admission, College Environment, Student Attrition, Graduation, Student Characteristics, Measures (Individuals), Reliability, Models, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A