Study: Despite increased state funding, many Okla. freshmen aren't returning for second year

   The Tulsa World published this story today saying many freshmen do not return to college after their first year in Oklahoma, despite state expenditures in the last five years totaling more than $130 million on these very students.
   The recent report comes from the American Institutes of Research, with page 13 showing Oklahoma's general spending on first-year students that comprise state and federal grants and appropriations. Further, the report's introduction on page 4 shows that both state and federal grants to these students are quickly rising.
   According to the World, research universities like OU and OSU are most successful at second-year retention, the state has about a 30-percent overall retention rate that's near the national rate.