Adult Education

Critical to state education and economic goals, adult learners will represent a majority of college students in the near future, yet they are largely an untapped resource. States and higher education institutions must adequately address their unique needs, concerns and expectations with comprehensive, proactive and targeted strategies that reflect this new reality.

College and university freshmen aren't what they once used to be, and state policymakers need to look at ways to adapt to that changing reality. "Yesterday's nontraditional student really is today's traditional student," said Marcie Foster, policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, a national nonprofit that advocates for policies that improve the lives of low-income people. Foster was one of the featured speakers in a recent CSG webinar, "Overcoming Social Barriers to Postsecondary Education."

Some may think it’s a gamble, but so far it’s paid off. The new Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is funding college scholarships by the thousands, more than the state was ever able to afford without it. As the recession continues, record numbers of students just out of high school and nontraditional, adult students took the state up on its offer of free tuition and fees. The state received 53,000 applications this year for the college scholarships, compared to 7,000 in 2009.