Across Tennessee, more than 595,000 working-age adults have earned college credit but do not have a postsecondary credential. In response to the growing economic demands over the past decade, many states launched efforts to re-engage students with some college but no degree (SCND). In 2018, Tennessee launched "Tennessee Reconnect," a…

Most students who begin at a community college do not complete their desired credential. Many former students fail to graduate due to various barriers rather than their academic performance. To encourage previously successful non-completers to re-enroll and eventually graduate, a growing number of community colleges have implemented re-enrollment…

In 2017, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) adopted a program developed in 2010 by the National Governors Association titled Complete 2 Compete (C2C). The C2C program was created to combat the disparities in educational attainment and to meet the demand for a more educated…

This brief examines enrollment patterns, demographics, education patterns, and financial aid use for Minnesota undergraduate students who are adult learners. The analysis also explores the changes in those patterns and characteristics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For purposes of this brief, the differing characteristics of two important…

The new majority of college students have adult responsibilities, such as parenting, earning a living, and paying for college. Unfortunately, adult students are often treated as an afterthought by colleges and policymakers. Over the last 20 years, more than 37 million students have left without receiving a degree that would greatly improve their…

In Germany about half of the adult learners who start second chance education drop out before graduation. In this paper we aim to contribute to an explanation for this low success rate. We focus on the normative expectations of learners: What are their expectations concerning teachers' attention to their personal abilities, teacher support and the…

Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in competency-based education, a learning modality which is mastery-based, self-paced and focused on demonstrations of knowledge and skill rather than where or how they were attained (C-BEN, 2016; Cuckler, 2016; Tate & Klein-Collins, 2015; U.S. Department of Education, 2002). The face of higher…

Mature students are making up an increasing proportion of the student population at Canadian colleges and universities. At Assiniboine Community College (ACC), in southwestern Manitoba, an average of 360 mature students enrolled in various programs each year from 2008 to 2013. These mature students bring with them unique strengths and challenges.…

There are many factors that influence the persistence and retention of the Black female non-traditional learner in higher education. This study aimed to identify to what extent various factors were most influential in influencing the success of Black female non-traditional learners entering or reentering higher education. The participants for this…

Based on interviews with students who had recently returned to school, this essay demonstrates the need for, challenges of, and ways to respond to the writing anxiety many adults bring with them back to school. Jessica and Sam were two of twenty-five newly returned adult students whom the author spent over sixty hours interviewing in the fall of…

This paper illuminates and details some of the traits, pressures and semi-autonomy of the young adult between the ages of 18 and 24 who must confront the barriers and challenges upon returning to secondary school within the high school and the adult education centre context. Focusing on these young adults is fundamentally important to begin to…

Higher education and the military have been linked throughout history in the United States. Now, with the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the higher education community is beginning to realize again the importance of understanding student veterans' transition experiences into college and providing appropriate support programs. However, the…

This research report examines the expectations, attitudes and needs of adults who are thinking about earning postsecondary credentials after having spent some or in most cases many years in the workforce. Most of these prospective students hope a certificate or degree will advance their chances in the labor market, but they are greatly worried…

Karmos and Greathouse refute myths about adult learners and call for empowering education based on the principles that adults (1) can learn a lot, (2) demand solid content, (3) want to learn something new, and (4) guard their self-esteem. Ludwig describes one-day seminars offered at Gwinnett Technical Institute that are used to recruit reentry…

A study examined the barriers encountered by returning adult students and the potential change of those barriers over time. The 43 students constituting the survey population were enrolled in the graduate programs of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Students had to be…