The present study was primarily concerned with student retention and the motivations of students. The effect of the differential treatment of subject matter and different assessment methods utilised by the providers upon the retention of students in the various Tertiary Orientation Program (TOP) psychology courses was investigated. This differentiation was defined as formality, or the degree to which a particular course approximated a general undergraduate psychology course. On the basis of the literature reviewed, it was anticipated that the formality of the course, would be the major predictor of student continuance. In order to test this, and other predictions about student retention, as well as student perceptions and expectations, questionnaires were administered to both the teachers and students attending six Technical and Further Education (TAFE) providers in the south eastern metropolitan region of Victoria. Analyses of results supported the major prediction that course formality was associated with student retention. The more formally structured a particular college course, the higher the student retention rate in that course.