The number of college admissions for older adults has increased at less than expected rates, impacting older individuals by depriving them of educational benefits which promote successful aging, and by depriving society of the benefits of these individuals' wisdom and experience. According to successful aging theory, successful aging includes the maintenance of cognitive health. Research has demonstrated that stimulating cognitive activities, including college, can aid in preventing cognitive decline and dementia. The purpose of this study was to develop a greater understanding of how different perceptions of aging, subjective age, and finances contribute to older adults' motivation to attend formal education programs. The study was a quantitative, quasi-experimental, multifactorial design. The participants, recruited from online social media sites and Qualtrics, were 285 adults, aged 50 and older, who completed an online questionnaire. The 58-question survey was comprised of questions from The Subjective Age Scale, the Aging Semantic Differential, the Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire; and a demographics survey. ANOVA was used to compare high and low levels (one standard deviation above and below the mean, respectively) of perceptions of aging, subjective age, and finances, on motivation to enroll in college. It was found that low levels of subjective age and low levels of negative self-perceptions of aging were significantly associated with higher motivation to attend college. Agreement with negative societal perceptions of aging was not significantly associated with motivation to attend. While the lowest financial category was associated with higher motivation to enroll in college, the second lowest ($20,000-$34,999) was associated with lower motivation to enroll. There were no interaction effects among the four variables and motivation to attend college. Colleges might be better able to target older individuals by utilizing the constructs of lower subjective age and lower self-perceptions of aging in their advertising. Also, to date, there has been very little research on older adults' motivation to enroll in a college or university, particularly quantitative studies. Following the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic, the new "normal" of increased virtual learning warrants further study of older individuals and online education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]