The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education has issued a paper titled Hidden in Plain Sight: Adult Learners Forge a New Tradition in Higher Education by Peter J. Stokes. Stokes begins the paper by saying,
“Although ‘traditional’ 18-22 year-old full-time undergraduate students residing on campus account for only 16% of higher education enrollments, the attention given to this group of students obscures the fact that the vast majority of college and university students are “non-traditional” – largely working adults struggling to balance jobs, families, and education. This paper examines how colleges and universities – supported by effective policy – can better align their educational offerings to meet the needs of adult learners and thereby play a critical role in increasing access to higher education and sustaining the health of our economy.”
He highlights the problem by pointing out that “less than three million of the more than 17 million students enrolled today” are those most often considered to be a traditional college student (18-22 years of age). The vast majority of individuals enrolled in higher education institutions are part-time students, working part or full-time, and married (often with children). Yet, he states that “Although adult learners are everywhere in higher education, they remain invisible – hidden in plain sight – and curiously absent from many of the dialogues concerning the purpose and mission of higher education.”
He provides three primary areas where colleges and universities must adjust their practices if they are going to meet the needs of these adult learners.
- Adult learners require easier transfer of credit from institution to institution.
- Adult learners require more flexible course, certificate, and degree programs.
- Adult learners studying less than half-time require more flexible financial aid policies.
Stokes also points out the place that online learning has in meeting the needs of adult learners. While his figures are a bit dated, the current data only reinforces his contention that the adult learner market is increasingly choosing completely online programs as the delivery system of choice.
He concludes by saying:
“For higher education institutions to effectively mobilize to meet our real education needs, it will be necessary first to recognize the diverse faces of higher education – and that means recognizing the extent to which adult learners are the future of higher education.”