Overview

The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study is designed specifically to collect data related to persistence in and completion of postsecondary education programs; relationships between work and education efforts; and the effect of postsecondary education on the lives of individuals.

BPS follows students who are enrolled in a postsecondary institution for the first time. Initially, these individuals are surveyed through the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to find out how they and their families pay for education beyond high school. These same students are surveyed 2- and 5-years later through BPS to find out about their undergraduate experiences, persistence in school, degree completion, and employment following enrollment.