One in every three students has “seriously considered” leaving college for personal, financial, or other reasons.
According to a recent student survey, eight out of ten would return to the same college if they dropped out.
StudentSurvey.ie, Ireland’s largest annual survey of students’ experiences in higher education, has looked for the first time at the reasons students might contemplate dropping out of degree programmes.
Sixty-three percent of those polled claimed they had not really considered leaving their programme. However, figures suggest that slightly more than one-third (37%) had seriously contemplated leaving. It is intended that these findings would help HEIs, policymakers, and students understand the possible hurdles to students’ academic progress.
Reasons given for considering withdrawal included: personal or family reasons were most often cited (13pc), followed by financial reasons (10pc).
Other reasons given were transfer to another college (9pc), health (6pc) and employment (5pc), with 8pc citing ‘another reason’.
It also noticed a reduction in the number of Covid related complaints in the Student Experience category.
Dr Siobhán Nic Fhlannchadha, manager of StudentSurvey.ie, said: “The results of StudentSurvey.ie have immense value for each of the higher education institutions, as well as for the whole higher education sector. I am always struck by how students use the survey to reflect critically and constructively on their experience. For staff in the higher education institutions and organisations, these results represent an opportunity to grow, and I hope they make the most of it.
“The survey collates powerful feedback directly from students, which passes to institutions to allow them to act on challenges facing their student population. The institutions themselves have a real buy-in to the survey and actively support and promote it, which makes it even more effective. The results this year show that students are facing challenges and institutions are providing supports to help them succeed.”
Third-level institutions have said that the survey findings would be used to assist enhance their students’ experiences.