Post-Secondary Access and Retention (PAR) – Post-Secondary Student Access and Retention Strategies: Literature Review

Authors:SRDC SRSA

Young adult Canadians today have the highest rates of educational attainment our country has ever seen. More than half (52%) of Canadians aged 25-34 now have a university degree or college diploma (Statistics Canada, 2008). By comparison, among Baby Boomers now in their late 50’s and early 60’s, just 34% have a college diploma or university degree. However not all youth are included in this increase in educational attainment. By best estimates, three-quarters of Canadian youth will enrol in some form of post-secondary education after high school but nearly one in five will drop-out before graduating (Berger, Motte and Parkin). Youth from lower-income families, youth who are the first generation in their family to attend post-secondary, and Aboriginal youth, among other groups, continue to be under represented in post-secondary institutions (particularly universities) and are at greater risk of leaving without completing their degree or certificate program.

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Project Details

Published: June 2009
Capability: Policy Research
Policy Area: Post-Secondary Education
Population: Youth - Children - Low-income Populations - Official Language Minorities - Racialized Canadians - Students