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Table 5. Percentage of 2002 high school sophomores who had attended more than one postsecondary institution as of 2006, by reasons for transferring and selected student, family, and high school characteristics: 2006

    Main reason for delaying enrollment2
Characteristic Percent who delayed postsecondary enrollment1 Financial reasons3   Academic reasons4   Wanted to work   Wanted to serve in military   Need to help support family   Wanted to travel/pursue interests   Other reasons5  
Total 9.8 20.7   4.5   26.8   5.3   7.2   9.3   26.2  
                               
Sex                              
Female 9.8 20.5   3.2   23.4   1.7 ! 8.7   8.8   33.7  
Male 9.5 20.7   5.3   31.5   8.6   5.4   10.3   18.2  
                               
Race/ethnicity6                              
White, non-Hispanic 8.2 19.4   3.3   26.0   6.3   4.8   11.8   28.4  
Black, non-Hispanic 13.7 24.1   8.4   27.9   3.3 ! 10.2   2.7 ! 23.4  
Hispanic 13.6 19.7   3.3 ! 32.0   3.6 ! 8.2   8.1   25.1  
Asian, non-Hispanic 6.2 23.7     12.3 !   6.4 ! 18.1   30.9  
All other races, non-Hispanic 8.5 22.1     25.7   7.5 ! 10.5 ! 15.7 ! 17.0 !
                               
Family income in 2001                              
$0-20,000 11.9 21.6   4.0 ! 28.1     14.7   4.4   25.4  
$20,001-50,000 11.0 23.0   4.8   26.6   4.4   6.0   10.3   25.0  
$50,001-100,000 8.7 18.5   3.8   26.5   6.7   6.2   10.7   27.7  
$100,001 or more 6.7 12.8   7.7 ! 27.7   12.7 !   9.2 ! 27.7  
                               
Parental education7                              
High school or less 11.1 23.2   4.1   31.4   2.9 ! 10.4   4.8   23.2  
Some college 11.4 21.4   4.0   26.4   6.2   5.4   10.3   26.3  
Bachelor's degree 7.8 16.2   4.2 ! 24.5   5.5 ! 7.0 ! 12.9   29.7  
Graduate/professional degree 6.1 16.8   5.6 ! 23.0   7.2 !   15.7   28.6  
                               
Native language8                              
English 9.4 21.1   3.6   27.4   5.6   6.4   9.7   26.2  
Non-English 12.2 18.5   7.0 ! 27.0   3.0 ! 9.3   9.2   25.9  
                               
High school sector                              
Public 10.1 20.8   4.4   26.9   5.4   7.5   9.0   26.0  
Catholic 4.7 12.4   7.6   30.0   3.3 ! 5.3   7.3 ! 34.0  
Other Private 6.5 13.9 ! 9.7 ! 25.6       20.7   23.1  
                               
Highest math course taken in high school9                              
No math 6.5   #       3.0 ! 1.5 ! 44.1 !
Basic math/pre-algebra 9.5 19.4     29.4     5.0 ! 9.1 ! 27.8  
Algebra I, geometry, or algebra II 13.7 21.4   3.3   28.4   4.0   8.9   8.2   25.9  
Trigonometry, statistics, pre-calculus 7.4 20.5   4.2 ! 22.1   10.6   6.1   14.1   22.3  
Calculus 2.0     26.9   13.3 ! #   11.3 ! 22.2 !
                               
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. Estimate is unstable because the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error represents 30 percent or more of the estimate).
‡ Reporting standards are not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error represents 50 percent or more of the estimate).
1 Percentages are calculated based upon respondents who (1) were enrolled in postsecondary education at the time of the 2006 survey but did not enroll within 6 months after high school graduation; or (2) indicated a delayed postsecondary enrollment but were no longer enrolled at the time of the 2006 survey.
2 Respondents could give more than one reason for delaying postsecondary enrollment. Percentages for each reason are of all 2002 high school sophomores who delayed postsecondary enrollment. Respondents who gave more than one reason in a group of reasons are counted only once for that group.
3 Financial reasons include (1) "could not afford schooling after high school," (2) "needed to earn money to pay for school," and/or (3) "did not receive enough financial aid."
4 Academic reasons include (1) "were not accepted at the schools where you wanted to go," (2) "were admitted to a school, but only on a deferred basis," and/or (3) "needed to improve academic qualifications."
5 Other reasons include (1) "had a traumatic experience such as you were in an accident, a victim of a crime, or grieving a death," (2) "personal health reasons," (3) "were incarcerated," and/or (4) reasons provided by the respondents via open ended answers.
6 Black, non-Hispanic includes African American. Hispanic includes Latino. All other races, non-Hispanic includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or more races.
7 Parental education is the highest level of education attained by either the student’s mother or father (including guardians); or, if data are available for only one parent or guardian, the educational attainment of that parent (or guardian).
8 The first language the student learned to speak.
9 Sample members for whom no high school transcript was received are not included in the estimates.
NOTE: Totals are weighted by F2QWT and other estimates are weighted by F2BYWT except for highest math course taken in high school, which is weighted by F2QTSCWT. Details may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) Second Follow-up, 2006.”