Guide to Returning to College as an Adult

The term “college student” typically conjures up images of 18-year-olds in sweats stumbling to morning classes after a night out partying. But the facts about what’s “typical” today paint a different picture — one of an older student juggling a full-time job and family responsibilities while completing courses at night or on weekends. In fact, according to the Lumina Foundation, a full 38 percent of undergraduate students are older than 25, 58 percent work while enrolled in college and 26 percent are raising children. And only 13 percent of today’s students live on campus.

Regardless of the facts, however, that traditional, younger image still persists, making the idea of a return to school intimidating for many older adults seeking to switch careers or enhance their skill sets by enrolling in college. Not only might they feel out of step with their younger peers, but they face the additional challenges of financing their educations and balancing work and family time along with their studies. This guide provides tips for easing this transition, paying for college and addressing the hurdles that may arise in a midlife return to college.

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There was a time, long ago, when a person would proudly stick with one job until retirement and then be rewarded with a handsome pension and gold watch. But as the American workplace has evolved technologically, with certain careers becoming obsolete while others have evolved considerably, that old way of thinking about a career no longer makes sense, which often precipitates a return to college.

Here are some of the reasons older adults, ages 40 and up, are returning to college:

Sarah Ancel, Senior Vice President, Complete College America

Challenges come when life gets in the way. Generally, it’s the juggling. I know many adults who are really good at squeezing every last minute out of their day, but it’s about juggling all their responsibilities.

First, let’s talk about how class schedules are set. We know younger, full-time students select classes based on what they want or need to take, not credit hours. Older adults look at how to balance a class or two with other obligations. Taking two classes at a time doesn’t get students anywhere close to an on-time graduation. What we’ve seen working well is compressed class schedule — so, for instance, taking two classes at a time on an eight-week structure. That type of structure is a recipe that allows students to balance class schedules with the rest of life, without having five midterms a week, and it’s a much better recipe for adults to have a path to an on-time, or at least timely, graduation.

It’s also important to emphasize that it’s less about addressing challenges and more about embracing opportunities. We know if adults have been in the workforce for years, they’ve gained a lot of knowledge. Colleges and universities who serve these folks really well have a standard way of incorporating that prior knowledge, whether it’s allowing them to build portfolios, transferring in certifications they’ve earned in the workplace or walking through each step of their careers in order to maximize their prior learning with credit. It gives adult students a mental boost, honors what they already know and shortens their path to graduation.

In many states, colleges and universities are seeing demographic trends that mean the high school student population is shrinking, so for them, [appealing to older adults is] a matter of staying in business. At a state level, leaders are looking at returning adults as a linchpin for meeting workforce needs to fuel their local economies. Interest at the state level is truly coming from a workforce lens. Partnerships are forming between institutions not just to bring these adults back to college but to ensure they stay and go through to graduation.

It varies by location, but returning students should look first at state-level resources. In Florida, they have a group called Complete Florida, which exists to help students who want to return to school find the right institutions for them and follow all the right procedures to get back into the classroom, and they complement these efforts with a small amount of scholarship dollars. Many states have resources through their departments of higher ed, and there are some at the school level. Within institutions, I’d advise adult students to find out if there’s a coaching program in place or, if there isn’t, to find a faculty member on their own who will take the time to help them navigate the institution and advocate on that student’s behalf if they run into trouble.

Many cities across the country also are part of The Graduate Network, in which there are volunteers mobilized in the community to help students find the resources they need, and they will work with institutions to get these students enrolled and finishing their degrees.

I think one of the most-often overlooked aspects of older students is the value they bring to classroom. One of our CCA Fellows, Matt Bergman, commented to me that he never wants to teach anyone but older adults. They’re active learners, they’re attentive, they know why they’re there; they have the confidence to ask questions, engage and integrate their earlier experiences in order to enhance learning and make deeper connections. And if I may share a personal anecdote, my husband just completed this process. He was a lawyer, and he went back to school to become a landscape architect. He just graduated this past spring, and in terms of comparing the two college experiences, he said that as an undergrad, he was intimidated by the whole experience and by his instructors. But as a 43-year-old, he was able to see his professors as peers; he engaged with them in open dialogue. He would find himself squeezing every last minute out of every class, not looking forward to leaving early like he did as an undergrad. I’ve seen that firsthand from others, too, and certainly the faculty we work with validate that.

If you are in a career that’s not satisfying to you as an individual, there’s a clear benefit to training for a career that gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction in your life. There’s a monetary value, but for folks switching careers, it’s as much about finding something that aligns with your interests. Clearly, for adults without any college degree at all, research tells us that it will have a positive economic value for you as well.

First, I’d say to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). There’s often a lot more financial aid available than people know, but the way to find out what’s available at the federal and state level is to fill out that FAFSA as soon as possible. In terms of what’s available for students, it depends on the state, although all students across the country can qualify for federal Pell Grants. Many states have need-based programs, and many states are looking at ways to change their eligibility so that more adult students can access those funds. And in some states, such as Tennessee, groups are lobbying to make tuition free for older adults. College Promise programs across the country, when they first started, were geared toward high school graduates, but more of them are looking at ways to give those funds to older adults as well.

Though prospective returning students may not realize it, the nation needs them to earn those college degrees. The Lumina Foundation reports that 65 percent of America’s jobs in 2020 will require postsecondary training. In order for the nation to remain competitive in the world and fill all its fastest-growing jobs, it’s essential that more adults enroll in college. This fact alone is driving federal and state efforts to make college more accessible, affordable and appealing for adult students.

Not only that, but it pays to earn a degree. An associate degree means $500,000 more in lifetime earnings, and a bachelor’s degree means $1 million more.

However, adult students considering a return to school should explore their options carefully to determine whether they’re truly prepared to make this change and how to make the experience of returning to school easier and more enjoyable. Some of the options that students may want to look for include:

Ancel says that when it comes to selecting the right program, adult students should seek out a coach or personal adviser first and foremost. “I’d recommend first that they find out if someone can help. It’s much easier to do this with someone who’s trained to look at different options for older adults and walk through it with you,” she says. “If you can’t find that in your community, I advise thinking about your ultimate career goals and map that back into the education program that would be best.”

Before enrolling in any program, however, adult students have some real thinking to do about whether they’re ready to return to school, what their lives will look like while they’re in it and how they’ll stick it out during the tough times.

Students should consider the following:

Returning to school can be challenging, but if a solid plan is in place, the personal and professional rewards of reaching one’s goal can make a difficult journey worth it.