Retention^RT Aims to Increase Student Success and Reduce Loan Default Rates

March 18, 2008 - As the retention and graduation rates of college students continue to stagnate, campuses across the country are seeking new ways to boost student success. Noel-Levitz and USA FundsŪ now provide a comprehensive service that increases student persistence and degree completion, factors that figure strongly in students' ability to repay their educational loans.

The new assessment service, called retention^RT, uncovers barriers and risk factors that influence student success, retention, and ultimately student loan default. Using a combination of advanced data analysis and expert consultation, retention^RT provides campuses with a wealth of strategic information they can use to guide retention planning and focus their student success initiatives.

"As colleges and universities look for ways to improve retention, this service helps identify and prioritize the initiatives that will have the greatest impact on student success," said Noel-Levitz president and CEO Kevin Crockett. "We are pleased to be working with USA Funds to help campuses and the students they serve."

This latest initiative stems from a six-year collaboration between USA Funds and Noel-Levitz to increase retention and reduce loan defaults. Campuses using retention^RT have the ability to:

• Strengthen retention planning by guiding initiatives with comprehensive, relevant student data.

• Identify which groups of students are most at risk and connect them with resources and student services specific to the campus and the students' needs.

• Reinforce and support existing student success efforts, including advising, student success courses, financial literacy programs, and academic development initiatives.

• Assess the risk level of each student and pinpoint specific areas of risk for each student.

• Intervene early, when retention efforts are more likely to promote student success.

• Provide data to prepare for the accreditation process.

• Improve loan repayment rates among students, which correlate with increased student persistence.

"Enhancing student success is part of our nonprofit mission, and preventing student loan defaults is a USA Funds priority" said Carl Dalstrom, USA Funds president and CEO. "retention^RT equips colleges and universities to help their students graduate, stay out of loan default, and stay on track to meet their goals."

The nation's leading education loan guarantor, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. Last year USA Funds guaranteed education loans totaling $25.8 billion for students and parents throughout the nation and invested $16.3 million in scholarships and outreach programs. For more information, visit www.usafunds.org.

Noel-Levitz is a nationally recognized higher education consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning for enrollment and student success. Each year, campus executives from throughout the U.S. meet regularly with Noel-Levitz to accomplish their goals for student recruitment, marketing, student retention, and strategic enrollment management. The firm offers consulting, custom research, benchmark data, innovative tools and technologies, side-by-side plan development and execution, and resources for professional development. For more information, visit www.noellevitz.com.

Posted 03/19/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.