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Research Report

Preventing Early Attrition

In an era of declining enrollments and heightened competition, community college leaders must focus on optimizing intake for incoming students by smoothing their path to enrollment and completion. This study examines how to prevent early attrition by supporting optimal financial decisions, guiding intentional academic decisions, and minimizing first semester dropout.

Since 2010, community college leaders across the country have seen student headcount and credit hour production decline at unanticipated rates. The applicant conversion challenge is exacerbated by the increasingly risky profile of incoming students. In an era of declining enrollments and heightened competition, community college leaders must focus on optimizing intake for incoming students by smoothing their path to enrollment and completion.

This study explores the greatest barriers to college entry and persistence and means to prevent student attrition. You’ll discover top strategies on simplifying financial aid, optimizing new-student academic advising, designating withdrawal prevention specialists, restructuring the academic calendar, and more.

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This resource is part of the Streamline Onboarding and Promote First Year Student Success Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.

Executive Summary Student Enrollment and Market Share Declines at the Top of Member Priority Lists

Since 2010, community college leaders across the country have seen student headcount and credit hour production decline at unanticipated rates. The country’s economic recovery is the most common rationale for the enrollment downturn—as the economy improves, students leave higher education for the prospect of an immediate paycheck. However, this most recent economic recovery differed from previous economic rebounds. Despite record enrollments during the recession, community colleges’ share of the total undergraduate population remained flat and then declined, starkly different from previous recessions when two-year colleges experienced gains in both headcount and market…

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