By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
What are the best ways to keep adult learners in college? Is it just about money, or are there other issues? Intuitively, everyone recognizes that working adults are under enormous pressure and that getting a college degree is not easy. Taking courses online can help, but there are other factors that can make an adult learner be at risk of dropping out.
We’re used to thinking of at-risk students as adolescents who may have emotional, logistical, financial, or environmental challenges that put them in danger of dropping out of school. Because the costs to society are very high, there are numerous programs in place to address the needs of at-risk adolescents. However, for adult students, the situation is different. Despite the current focus on retention and student success, and the awareness that there are conditions that make getting into and staying in college difficult, there are few studies that go as far as to state when and where an adult student become at-risk, and there are even fewer programs to specifically target the factors that make them at-risk.
Because there are many factors that can impede an adult learner’s progress, it is useful to separate them, list each one, and to analyze them. Some are more critical than others, and more potentially destructive to one’s educational progress.
Here is a list of risk factors, with a brief explanation of how and why the situation creates a potential barrier.
Risk Factors, With Underlying Reasons
Non-Traditional Status
- Non-traditional status may create a situation where the student is invisible in a sea of traditional students.
Underrepresented Minority
- There may be a lack of adequate and appropriate support that acknowledges the unique cultural needs of the individual;
- The individual’s need for affiliation is not satisfied, with the result that the student feels isolated;
- It may be difficult for the individual to find fellow students for study groups or collaborations.
Delayed Entry College
- The student who delays going to college may need refresher courses for basic skills, especially math or writing;
- The college may not provide technology support services to help students who are uncomfortable with the computers, software, or connections needed for effective online learning;
- Remediation courses may not be paid for by tuition assistance;
- Taking remediation courses may be unappealing to the student because he or she feels they are slowing down his or her academic progress;
- May feel uncomfortable with other students due to generational or life experience gaps;
- The college may not provide the flexibility needed by a student who may need more time with some courses, or special tutoring or mentoring services.
Poor Study Skills, Weak Self-Regulation Strategies
- A student who has been out of college for many years, or who did not have a solid academic track record in high school may not have developed good study skills;
- Poor time management skills;
- Easily distracted (plays games, shops online instead of focusing on coursework)
- Poor goal-setting skills;
- Unable to prioritize and/or order tasks.
Financial Issues
- The adult non-traditional student often must work 40 hours per week or more, which leads very little time for studying;
- The student may not be able to pay on time, or needs to make arrangements for partial payments. Late or delayed payments may result in the additional fees, and a hold on registration.
Single Parent
- Having full responsibility for raising a child can add to financial pressures;
- A child’s illness or activities may squeeze the non-traditional student’s already limited schedule;
- An unpredictable schedule makes it difficult for the adult student to have time for developing a schedule, and for successful self-regulation;
- The student may feel isolated from other students.
Non-Credit Training and Continuing Education
- Although a student may have taken exactly the same course at a corporate training center or in a workshop as one that is given for credit at a college or university, the student does not receive college credit for it;
- Colleges that accept training toward college degrees may place a limit on the amount of credit they will accept;
- The not-for-credit training given in training does not acculturate the student in the ways and activities of a college;
- The student may become discouraged upon having to retake courses already successfully completed at a workshop or in corporate training.
Retention and Student Success Strategies: First Steps
Colleges and universities may have support services that can be used with great success by the online learner. They can be well-disguised, though, and people may be unaware that existing programs can be repurposed or utilized for online learning support to help the at-risk adult learner stay in college.
- Make remediation activities available through the online library;
- Task the online librarians with helping distance learners locate resources for their research and term papers;
- Clearly state when and where credit by alternative sources can be applied toward a degree program (military training, corporate training, credit by exam, etc.);
- Provide online resources to help students apply online for financial aid;
- Post degree maps so that students can self-advise;
- Support programs to help students develop learning communities, both within their courses and outside.
Colleges and universities can do a great deal to support non-traditional online learners so that even if they are in the at-risk category, they can help them minimize the barriers to degree completion. With guidance and support, at-risk adult eLearners may even be able to transform the obstacles into advantages.