Higher Education, Non‐Standard Students and Withdrawals

Abstract This article examines the factors affecting student withdrawal from higher education, arguing that some social, political and economic factors are located in the national context whilst others relate to the individual student's own personal circumstances. The access movement has been commendably successful in increasing and widening the participation rates for those groups traditionally under‐represented in higher education. However widening access must include improving retention as well as increasing entry. This paper gives an overview of withdrawal in higher education in the European context. Retention across the higher education sector is considered with particular emphasis on the drop‐out of non‐traditional students in part‐time education. A case study of a Certificate programme with open entry into higher education in a traditional English university is given as a means of identifying implications and applications for other access provision.