ANALYSIS OF STOPOUT BEHAVIOR AT A PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY: The Multi-Spell Discrete-Time Approach

Existing applications of event history modeling in attrition research typically focused on the first departure. This study extends the scope of existing applications by dividing each student’s enrollment history into periods of enrollment and non-enrollment (spells). The findings indicate that departure is strongly associated with poor college grade performance and part-time enrollment. Students receiving financial aid are more likely to persist. The probability of return is higher for students whose parents attended college, those with higher SAT scores and coming from nearby areas. The duration of previous spells has a positive impact on the probability of return and a negative impact on the probability of departure.