Based on a prior study which found that only 55% of those who indicated they planned to attend a Wisconsin vocational-technical-adult education (VTAE) school in their district actually did so, a research project was conducted to identify barriers which appeared to deter recent high school graduates and adults from attending a VTAE school. Surveys were mailed to 2,730 potential students in four of the VTAE districts in Wisconsin, with a 40% return. Final tabulation included only 35% of the respondents who were not currently enrolled in any VTAE school. The survey indicated that predominant reasons for not attending VTAE schools were postponement of schooling, need to earn money, difficulty in making the decision to go to school, finding a permanent job, lack of financial aid, and transportation problems. Although personal problems may underlie these reasons, this was not assessed in the survey. Many of the respondents who found that local VTAE programs were not what they wanted were subsequently accepted at another school, and over half of the respondents indicated they might attend a VTAE school in the future. Recommendations were made concerning financial aid; information on specific costs of each program; evaluation, training, and retraining of respondents who indicated they might attend VTAE schools in the future; and counseling for potential students. The report also makes recommendations for further study and includes a bibliography. Appendixes include the survey form and related materials. (LMS)