As adult learners increasingly seek bachelor's degrees for career advancement and personal fulfillment, understanding their unique challenges and experiences becomes crucial for higher education institutions. This study focuses on the academic journeys of nine adult learners aged 29 to 53 who attended community colleges in Florida before seeking a…

Encouraging adults who have started but not yet earned a degree or certificate to return to college is an enrollment strategy that is growing in interest across diverse state and institutional contexts. In an effort to improve both students' and administrators' experiences with adult learner engagement initiatives, administrative holds, and past…

Mature adults comprise more than half of the UK higher education student population, indicating significant growth in participation opportunities. However, this expansion has not necessarily resulted in equal educational quality and outcomes for adult learners. This study addresses the research gap regarding the availability and quality of support…

An increasing number of part-time adult learners have enrolled in master's programmes globally for career advancement and personal growth. The educational and working backgrounds of these part-time master's students are diverse. Their motivations for pursuing master's degrees and continued learning are also varied. We explored part-time master's…

Student service member/veteran (SSM/V) university enrollment has grown exponentially in recent years. In response, many U.S. universities have developed military-focused student services to address navigational and social challenges SSM/Vs face on campus. While research suggests these services are beneficial, few studies have empirically examined…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to discover the asynchronous online learning experiences that support learning motivation for community college degree-seeking non-traditional adult learners in the United States. The theoretical framework guiding this study is Knowles' andragogy adult learning theory. The utilization of…

Recent research reveals that many students are "swirling," or transferring more than one time, and not always vertically. This rise in swirlers suggests that some students choose transfer institutions that do not fit their needs. Yet, very little research examines the choices students make as they seek to transfer from one school to…

Adults represent a vital and growing undergraduate demographic, bringing diverse experiences and expectations to the educational environment, yet their unique needs are often underserved. Adult learners face challenges beyond attending classes or completing homework (Bellare et al., 2023). This study examines the interplay between satisfaction,…

In recent decades, higher education has undergone a profound transformation with the increased enrollment of non-traditional students, representing a diverse cohort pursuing education later in life. The purpose of this comprehensive qualitative meta-analysis of existing literature is to meticulously examine the multifaceted challenges and barriers…

In many Western societies, earning a degree is considered an ultimate educational achievement. Second chance education (SCE) serves as a distinct pathway for those who have dropped out of school, allowing them to re-enter the educational system. Understanding the specific obstacles and needs of students in SCE is crucial for providing…

This paper reports on the coping strategies of mature female students whilst studying a Foundation Programme at a Business School. In recent years, research has focussed less on the problems that confront adult learners and more on how they exercise personal agency and cope with the multifarious challenges of combining study with part-time…

This brief explores the experiences of college students aged 25 and older using data from the Fall 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey. These modern learners experience financial insecurity and time poverty at higher rates than their younger peers, which can impact their academic success.

As student enrollment in colleges across the United States continues to diversify, teaching and learning practices must keep pace with demographic shifts. The growing majority of today's college student body, dubbed post-traditional learners, is older, racially and ethnically diverse, more experienced in work and life, and stretched by competing…

This study examined the motives and drives of adult students during online degree completion, including the commonalities among and differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic adult students. Participants included 364 adult students at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) who completed a series of reflective writing assignments, generating over…

On average, the college graduation rates for minority and/or high-need students are generally low. To address this situation, a Mid-Atlantic Consortium recently secured a grant to improve 4-year graduation rates of high=need students (i.e., new first-time students and transfer students who qualify as low-income students, first-generation college…