How Your Student Support Services Can Help You Retain More Students

The first step toward incorporating support services into the retention plan is to ensure that educational institutions have the appropriate student support services in place.

FREMONT, CA: Student support services are much more than an excellent perk for students enrolled in colleges and universities. Many students can represent the difference between a degree and a stop-out. Others may do an excellent job of incorporating them into marketing messaging but then abandon them once a student enrolls. Nonetheless, many programs continue to under-publicize the existence of student support services.

If the objective is to increase student retention, student support services should be a critical component of the toolset. They assist students in remaining engaged, overcoming obstacles, and achieving their goals. However, they are only effective if pupils are aware of their existence. Consider how student support programs can assist educational institutions in retaining students.

Maintaining student engagement: Consider attending a party where educational institutions know no one. Educational institutions can look at their phone in the corner rather than engage with the group. Without support services, students are like the lone wolf at a party. They may like to engage but are unsure how to do so. As a result, they develop a sense of alienation from the community. They believe that leaving early will go unnoticed or unnoticed. College without student support services is akin to attending a party where educational institutions only know half the guests. Educational institutions will have a greater chance of mixing and meeting new people. Students can participate with their school or university community through various support services, including networking programs, cultural events, peer mentoring, gyms, and skills workshops. This increases their sense of connectedness and their likelihood to persist, even in the face of adversity.

Reducing or eliminating impediments: Each pupil must face some obstacles. It could be budgetary constraints, trouble retaining daycare, or a confidence crisis brought on by an incredibly rigorous class. Such obstacles can stymie educational advancement. They may decide to postpone completing their schooling until the issue is resolved. Or, in the worst-case scenario, they may conclude they are not cut out for college at all. Student support services assist these students in remaining enrolled by providing them with the skills necessary to overcome their barriers to completion. Tutoring, childcare, financial aid, student healthcare, mental health services, and IT help are just some of the programs that can assist students in moving forward and achieving their goals.

Assisting them in achieving their career objectives: Most pupils are motivated by career objectives. They view obtaining a degree as a means of increasing their salary, launching a new job, or positioning themselves for promotion. Nevertheless, some students may lose sight of this objective amid the coursework, projects, and assessments. Student support services can assist students in connecting what they learn in class to the skills necessary to succeed in their jobs. When students can connect their classroom work and their life's work, they are more likely to persist. Career counseling, internships, resume assistance, job fairs, and other career-related programs address the underlying motivation for many students to enroll. While achieving that goal is one of their primary objectives, assisting them should be one of yours.