College and University Blog
College Dropouts are Costing Taxpayers Billions of Dollars
Dropping out of college can leave students with a trail of debt and little to show for it, but a rather disturbing report released on October 11, 2010 has informed the general public that their state and federal governments have been spending billions on college students who dropped out during their freshman year.
Over $9 Billion Spent by Government on College Dropouts
Research has shown that only 60 percent of students actually graduate from four-year colleges and universities within six years, yet the American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that over $9 billion was spent by state and federal governments on college students that left school prior to their sophomore year between 2003 and 2008.
Using 2003-2008 data from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, AIR researchers found that the 30 percent of first-year college students who did not return to campus for a second year accounted for $6.2 billion in state appropriations for colleges and universities and more than $1.4 billion in student grants from the states. The federal government also provided $1.5 in grants to these students.
The study, titled "Finishing the First Lap: The Cost of First-Year Student Attrition in America
Melissa Rhone+
Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.