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Adult learners are known by a variety of names: nontraditional students, adult students, returning adults, adult returners, mature learners, comebackers. Common characteristics of adult learners include:
Second-Chance Options typically refer to programs designed to serve individuals returning to school after a period of absence, or to those designed to help incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals pursue their educational goals and/or re-enter society. In particular, prison education programs and the Second Chance Pell program can increase access to higher education by helping people who are or were incarcerated take college classes; and by extending federal grants to these learners.
Accelerated programs or accelerated-degree options are designed so students can graduate in less time than a traditional program would require. Such programs can be especially helpful for students looking to further or change their careers because they allow learners to enter the workforce more quickly. Dual degrees are one type of accelerated option.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost half of all students enrolled in college are considered adult learners. A Lumina Foundation report demonstrated that, among undergraduates, 38 percent are over 25, 58 percent are working while enrolled, and about a quarter have children. And these numbers are growing. Populations of adult students are increasing at colleges and universities across the country. These students may need additional support due to other demands (such as children and spouses), or because they are academically “rusty” after being away from school for a time.
The National Student Clearinghouse reports that there are 39 million Americans who have some college, but no credential. The “some college, no credential” population is up 3.1 million from nearly 36 million previously reported in 2019. There is a concerted push by higher education institutions to develop programs to encourage former students to return to complete educational credentials that may open doors to better career opportunities.
Adult learners can be found at nearly every turn in the learn-and-work ecosystem. Credential providers are increasingly called on to better understand and serve this demographic and help them achieve their education and career goals. Accelerated programs and adult learners can be crucial to this work.
National Reentry Resource Center. (2021). Second Chance Act. National Reentry Resource Center. https://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/second-chance-act
Peirce College. (2022). Who are adult learners? https://www.peirce.edu/degrees-programs/additional-resources/adult-learners/who-are-adult-learners
Wikipedia. (2022, July 25). Adult learner. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_learner
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