Adult Learners

Holistic Support in Higher Ed: Why Non-Traditional Students Need More Than Just Financial Aid

Non-traditional students—adult learners, student parents, veterans, and first-generation college-goers—are carrying heavier burdens than ever. Upswing’s 2024 Ana Insights Report found that nearly nine in ten students intended to complete a FAFSA application, while many also sought help with essentials like food, housing, and bill payments. Perhaps most concerning, students expressed declining confidence in higher…

Creating a Lifelong Learner’s Pathway with Kermit Cook, CEO at Penn Foster (Episode 1)

Education is in a period of rapid reinvention as technology, economic pressures, and workforce needs redefine how people learn. College costs continue to climb, with average tuition at private nonprofit four-year institutions now exceeding $43,000 a year. Even public four-year colleges average over $11,000 annually for in-state students, and public two-year programs cost more…

How Calbright College Is Using AI, Micro-Internships, and Flexible Learning to Serve Adult Learners in California

At a time when traditional higher education is being reevaluated for its return on investment, institutions like Calbright College are emerging as transformative forces. With roughly 6.6 million students in California having some college experience but no degree, the pressure is on to create alternative pathways that are flexible, skill-driven, and aligned with workforce…

Debt-Free and Results-First: ACE Is Rewriting the Rules of Higher Ed

As student loan debt surpasses $1.7 trillion nationwide, cracks in the traditional higher education model are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Meanwhile, the American College of Education is quietly operating with an approach that flies in the face of convention, where 85% of its students graduate debt-free. What does it take to build a…

Adult Education is Experiencing a Renaissance That is Reshaping the Educational Landscape

Millions of Americans are returning to school, forcing institutions to rethink how they serve adult learners with competing demands

Creating a Future of Supporting Lifelong Learning Will Also Depend on Adult Learners and Their Access to Education

Flexible online education is closing wage gaps by making skill development accessible to adults who missed traditional pathways