PERMANENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY IN THE UNDERGRADUATE COURSE IN ACCOUNTING SCIENCES AT A PRIVATE INSTITUTION IN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
Permanence; Evasion; University education; Private institution.
The permanence of students in private higher education has become an important topic in the educational context, both in Brazil and internationally. In this context, the objective of this study is to analyze the factors that contribute to permanence and those that lead to students dropping out of the undergraduate course. in Accounting Sciences from a private institution in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Through a case study, we will examine dropout rates at the Higher Education Institution (HEI) and investigate the socioeconomic profile of students enrolled in the course, this will include characteristics such as age, gender, geographic origin and financial condition. Furthermore, we will seek to identify the factors that influence retention in the course in question and, based on data collection from enrolled students, we will analyze possible risk factors related to
dropout. Two main approaches were used to collect data: analysis of institutional data on the number of students enrolled each academic semester, in addition to numbers relating to abandonment, withdrawal, transfer and cancellation of the course over the last 19 years, referring to the cohort from 2005 to 2023. These data allowed the construction of a historical series that makes it possible to identify patterns and trends in student behavior over time, allowing the calculation of the dropout rate for 37 semesters and 28 classes, in addition to collecting the numbers of policy beneficiaries public institutions such as FIES and PROUNI. There was also the application of a questionnaire based on the study by Castelo Branco, Nakamura and Jezine (2017), with the aim of evaluating the students' retention in the course under study. Data analysis highlights an average dropout rate per class of 65.29%, with a predominance of young women, limited racial diversity and the prevalence of students from public schools. The majority belong to families with an income of 1 to 1.9 minimum wages, and the choice of course was guided by affinity, not just ease of access. Identification with the course is strong, reflected in 52.6% of total agreement and 45.6% of partial agreement, indicating greater persistence. The perception of teachers is positive, with 50.9% considering them excellent and 49.1% good. Financial difficulties, infrastructure and previous education are the main risk factors for dropout. The intention to stay on the course is high, at 87.7%, reinforcing the students' commitment to completing the course.