The 1995-96 beginning postsecondary students who left by 1998 without a credential gave a variety of reasons for their departure. Students were generally more likely to say that they left because they needed to work or to give other financial reasons for their departure than to give other types of reasons. About one-quarter (26 percent) of short-term enrollees cited needing to work as a reason for their departure, and 16 percent identified other financial reasons. Ten percent said that they had completed their desired classes or that they had conflicts at home or personal problems; 8 percent cited a change in their family status; 7 percent said they were taking time off from their studies; 6 percent reported conflicts with their jobs or dissatisfaction with the institution; and 4 percent identified academic problems as a cause of their departure.

Among students who left, those who began at 4-year institutions were more likely than those who began at public 2-year institutions to say that they left because of academic problems (9 versus 2 percent) or a change in family status (12 versus 6 percent). Those who began at public 2-year institutions were more likely than those who began at 4-year institutions to say they left because they were done taking the classes they wanted (12 versus 5 percent) or because they needed to work (29 versus 17 percent).