drop out

when someone unofficially leaves school prior to graduation.

There are enough examples in our society where school drop outs have made it big in life.

v give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat
v withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values
v leave school or an educational program prematurely

Undocumented students to demonstrate in Raleigh
Thirty teens from the Charlotte area will travel to Raleigh to get lawmakers' attention. They said many undocumented students drop out after high school because they can't afford to pay out-of-state tuition which is an additional $20,000. "To me, it's very personal, because I could have gone to school in fall of 2009, but I couldn't," said student Elver Varrios. Varrios came to the United States ...
June 18, 2013 - WSOC-TV Charlotte
Will Carl Icahn Drop Out of Dell Deal?
As it gets tough for Icahn to shore up financing of the Dell's deal, he might drop out, sources tell CNBC.
June 14, 2013 - CNBC
Sausalito drops out of county drug task force team
The city of Sausalito has informed the county it will drop out of the Major Crimes Task Force and instead use its monetary contribution to focus on local policing needs.
June 14, 2013 - Marin Independent Journal

drop out : Popular Idioms in English