New multi-institution research finds that when families can access academic and administrative progress information, students stay enrolled at higher rates. A 2026 study of more than 20,000 first-time, first-year students reported retention gains of 6.9 percentage points for students whose families had access to progress data. The retention effect was stronger for Black and Hispanic students and for first-generation students, the study said, suggesting that visibility can improve early intervention when problems like financial holds or incomplete requirements are identified sooner. The coverage also addresses FERPA and family engagement, noting that in a dataset of more than 150,000 students across 50 institutions, only 5% of parent access requests were rejected—highlighting a practical pathway for information-sharing aligned with student willingness.