Graduate and professional student within-year persistence and financial aid

This study examines the influence of several factors on graduate and professional student within-year persistence. Within-year persistence is defined as continuing enrollment in an academic program in the spring semester after having been enrolled the fall semester prior. The time-frame for this study was academic year 1999--2000. This study is situated in the context of the Higher Education Reauthorization of 1992 which made loans more accessible to students and their families.A seven factor model was established by logistic regression and found to be efficient in making correct classification decisions. New factors that were added into the model include the Lifetime Learning Tax Credits debt load. Variables discriminating the two groups included grade point average being above 3.0, and increases in financial aid in increments of This study was run both on a large student sample as well on smaller sub-populations of students divided by ethnicity and gender. This study explored the factors of background, graduate and professional experience, academic aspirations, tuition, financial aid types and amounts and undergraduate and graduate debt load and tax credits on within-year persistence. In the subpopulations, differences were found between the subgroups, with background factors being more influential for the subgroups.This study found that receipt of financial aid significantly and positively influenced the within-year persistence of graduate and professional students. It also found that high grade point averages were significantly and positively related to within-year persistence.