DZHW Panel Study of School Leavers 2008 - Educational paths of school leavers with a higher education entrance qualification 

The DZHW Panel Study of School Leavers 2008 is part of the School Leavers panel series of the DZHW, which records information on post-school educational and career paths of school leavers with a higher education entrance qualification. For every graduate year (cohort) a series of survey waves are carried out with each wave occurring at a different time before and after graduation, implemented as a combined cohort-panel-design. The Panel Study of School Leavers 2008 comprises the 17th cohort of the survey series with three survey waves. In contrast to preceding cohorts, the study phase of the 2008 cohort is defined by the implementation of the two-cycle degree programme (bachelor’s and master’s degree). This change has been taken into account through a detailed recording of educational choices relevant for the course of study. The time shift in the survey implementation compared to previous cohorts made it possible to interview a higher proportion of students pursuing a master’s degree. The consequences of the decision of the Federal Supreme Court in 2005, which facilitated charging general tuition fees from the beginning of the first degree in seven federal states, could also be registered during the first survey wave of the 2008 cohort.