Stopout

Stopout is a term used in education and online learning to describe a student who temporarily leaves a program or course with the intention of returning. It differs from dropout, which is generally understood as a permanent withdrawal. The stopout phenomenon is of interest to institutions because it affects degree completion timelines and program capacity, and because returning students may have different needs than first-time enrollees.

In traditional higher education, stopouts may result from financial difficulties, employment obligations, caregiving responsibilities, or health issues. Duration can vary from a single semester to multiple years. Some institutions track stopout rates to inform advising, financial aid, and flexible scheduling.

In online learning and MOOCs, stopout is commonly used to describe a period of inactivity or disengagement from course activities such as viewing content, submitting assignments, or participating in forums. Researchers and administrators use stopout metrics (often as time since last activity or a missed time window) to gauge retention, prompt re-engagement, and tailor interventions like reminders or adaptive pacing.

Stopout analysis is an area of educational data mining and learning analytics. Models may use demographic data, prior performance, and engagement signals to predict whether a student will stop out and when they might return, which can support targeted support and program design.

The term remains fluid across contexts, but the core idea is a temporary separation with intent to resume study, as opposed to a permanent withdrawal.