CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTENDERS - FULL-TIME STUDENTS WHO TAKE LIGHT CREDIT LOADS AND GRADUATE IN MORE THAN 4 YEARS

The existing enrollment management and student-institution fit literat ure generally concentrates on two student populations: persisters and dropouts. This study investigates a third population that we call exte nders-those ostensibly full-time students who take longer than normal to complete a bachelor's degree. By analyzing the transcripts and surv ey responses of undergraduates at a public research university, we ide ntify three groups of extenders: financial need extenders, grade-consc ious extenders, and special situation students. While all three types are visible in our transcript analysis, we find empirical support in t he multivariate analysis only for the first two. Extender behavior tha t is based on financial need is congruent with Cabrera's integrated mo del of student retention. However, there are few other congruencies be tween these findings and the student-institution fit literature. We fo und little influence exerted by the usual measures contained in other studies that have used concepts in the Tinto, Bean, Nora, and Cabrera models, such as academic and social integration, goal clarity, and enc ouragement by family and friends. Apparently these concepts and measur es have little to do with student decisions to take lighter academic l oads and to lengthen their graduation date. Extenders in this study ar e not negative about taking longer to graduate and are generally satis fied with their experiences.