Strategies for accompanying academically at-risk students in higher education

Student dropout and academic risk represent ongoing challenges in higher education, driven by professional, personal, and academic variables. This research examines tutoring strategies tailored for at-risk students and proposes a comprehensive support model with an proactive and preventative framework. A critical analysis of institutional documents and scientific literature was conducted utilizing a qualitative approach and a documentary-bibliographic design. Three dimensions of support were identified (socioemotional, academic, and professional), revealing a discrepancy between the pedagogical ideal of tutoring and its institutional implementation, which is frequently limited to a bureaucratic and reactive approach. The finding suggests that a comprehensive support model fosters student retention, academic performance, and overall student development.

Keywords:
tutoring; student support; at-risk students; higher education; student retention