Psychological capital (PsyCap) is uniquely positioned at the intersection between student and academic institution. College administrators should look to psychological capital, beyond just student performance, for retention efforts in the financial management of the institution. The psychological capital and retention of four cohorts of freshmen at a small liberal arts residential college in the Southeast region of the United States were analyzed. The findings indicate that psychological capital, hope, and self-efficacy are predictors of freshmen to sophomore retention. Psychological capital impacts student performance, peer-group and faculty interactions, and should be considered as a method to manage dropout decision per Tinto’s (1975) Institutional Departure Model. Psychological capital development initiatives should be incorporated into orientation and in freshmen core curriculum as a method to retain students.

心理资本（PsyCap）独特地位于学生和学术机构之间的交汇处。高校管理者应该在学生的财务管理上，除学生表现外，还应考虑心理资本。分析了美国东南部一所小型文科民居大学的四名新生的心理资本和保留率。研究结果表明，心理资本，希望和自我效能感是新生保持二年级的指标。心理资本会影响学生的表现，同伴和教职员工之间的互动，因此应根据Tinto（1975）的《机构离职模型》作为一种管理辍学决策的方法。