Report: Stop-Outs Don’t Know About Support Services on Campus

Each year, a large number of college students walk away from their education because of personal and financial concerns, as well as academic challenges that impede their success. A new study shows students who stop out are less likely to be aware of resources that were available to them at their institution, which could be tied to their decision to leave.

In Tyton Partners’ annual Listening to Learners study, only half of all students surveyed say their institution offered academic and career advising, financial aid counseling, and mental health counseling, despite an overwhelming majority of institutions providing these supports. Students who had stopped out are less likely to know these services were offered, with only 44 percent recognizing academic advising was available and 32 percent being aware of mental health supports.  

Tyton Partners’ research shows learners who are aware of a greater number of support offices are more likely to remain enrolled in higher education, indicating that increased communication about resources and supports can support student persistence and completion.  

General lack of awareness: Many colleges and universities offer a suite of student support services that can aid in students’ learning, health and well-being, and future planning, as well as guide them through higher education. A majority of students, however, remain unaware of the full range of services available to them, and some student groups are more likely to be left behind.

Among all respondents, students are most likely to report their institution offers financial aid counseling (55 percent), followed by academic advising (51 percent), career advising (51 percent) and mental health counseling (50 percent).

Traditional academic support offerings, such as the registrar’s office (31 percent), tutoring (34 percent) and library assistance (35 percent) are only recognized by around one-third of students and used by fewer than one-quarter.

Students reported the least awareness of accessibility or disability services, emergency assistance and military benefits, which could be tied in part to the specific populations these services support.

Vulnerable students: Tyton Partners’ research revealed some student groups were less likely than their peers to be aware of services that could support their success.

Students who had left higher education (n=66) say their previous college or university offered financial aid counseling (55 percent), academic advising (44 percent), career advising (36 percent) or mental health counseling (32 percent). Fewer than one-third of respondents indicate they had ever interacted with academic advising, and just around one-quarter used financial aid counseling. Only 12 percent had interacted with mental health counseling, despite mental health being one of the most commonly cited reasons students stop out of higher education.

The report also identified large gaps in awareness among students who took classes fully online (n=490) or who have a disability (n=325). While both groups have higher awareness of mental health resources (50 percent), online students are more likely to point to IT or tech support as an available resource (44 percent) over academic advising (26 percent).

Students with disabilities are most aware of campus police or security (46 percent) and only 27 percent of these learners know about the disability services office. More concerningly, only 12 percent of students with disabilities say they had personally interacted with the accommodations office.

Fewer than 2 percent of online students and students with disabilities participated in tutoring or academic support, as well.

So what? Colleges and universities should work to bridge this awareness gap because it has implications for student retention, according to the report. Some specific actions campus leaders can take:

• Streamline communication. Just over half (55 percent) of respondents say the institution effectively communicates information about support services to learners. Eighteen percent disagree or strongly disagree. Students say they prefer to receive information via email (personal or institutional address) or via mobile text.
• Increase awareness of all resources. Students who indicated they were aware of five or more student support services are 13 percentage points more likely to say they would persist in higher education (77 percent), compared to their peers who are aware of one to four services (64 percent). In a previous survey, practitioners indicate a lack of coordination across departments as their greatest barrier to effective communication (33 percent), so breaking institutional silos and streamlining support awareness can aid this effort.
• Address student safety. Students are more likely to say they would stay in higher education (at their institution or at another institution) if they have high confidence in their physical and emotional safety, compared to their peers who express lower levels of physical and emotional safety. “A high sense of safety is critical for institutions to foster a supportive and inclusive environment where students feel secure, valued, and motivated to pursue their academic and personal goals,” according to the report.
• Consider the role of financial aid. Tyton’s report includes data from students who had left higher education but returned (n=447). These students are more likely to say the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has impacted their enrollment decision, compared to their peers who have never stopped out, with 28 percent indicating they would wait to re-enroll until they understand their financial aid for the next year and 19 percent considering transferring because of FAFSA delays.

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