Colleges have traditionally recruited from among high school graduates to meet their enrolment targets, ignoring the possibility of exploiting the interest of older working adults who desire to enter tertiary institutions. This chapter details the experiences of 10 undergraduate students 40 and over who are currently enrolled in undergraduate programs. It explores the reasons for their late entry into tertiary education, their motivations for choosing to continue their education, the challenges they experienced, and how they overcame these challenges. This sample was chosen using purposive sampling, and data was collected using the interview method. The findings indicate that participants were unable to continue their education earlier due to financial constraints but enrolled in tertiary studies for several reasons including financial gains to be achieved and self-actualization. They experienced significant challenges while pursuing their degrees, chief among which was the difficulty of balancing school, work, and family obligations.
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According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), global higher education enrolment rates surged from 19% to 38% between 2000 and 2018 (Vieira et al., 2020). UNESCO further reports that the “number of students in Europe and Northern America increased by 24% between 2000 and 2020 (UNESCO, 2022, p. 9). However, falling enrolment rates has been listed as one of the eight biggest challenges facing higher education (“The Biggest Challenges Facing Higher Education in 2022/2023”, 2022; “Number of Students Enrolling in Tertiary Institutions Declines”, 2016; Nietzel, 2022). Institutions in both the United States and Canada have been affected with enrollment rates falling in the former by 13% in the last decade, with community colleges feeling the brunt of this decline (“The Biggest Challenges Facing Higher Education in 2022/2023”, 2022). Binkley and the Associated Press (2023) citing the National Student Clearinghourse Research Center further verify this decline. They stated “Nationwide, undergraduate college enrolment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes”. Brinkley and the Associated Press further noted, “The slide in the college-going rate since 2018 is the steepest on record, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics” (2023).
Roman believed that much of this decrease can be attributed to the pandemic (2022). He also cited the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report that showed enrollment falling by 4.1% at United States public and private colleges for the spring 2022 term (2022). Furthermore, he purported that changes in population demographics, a contracting job market, along with new upskilling avenues have also contributed to the decline. Prior to the pandemic, enrollment shortfalls in American and Canadian universities were met by recruiting international students from the Caribbean (Worldwide Colleges Tour, 2018; Cross, 2017), China, India, Germany and France (International Students, 2024).
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are “producing limited numbers of graduates with aging expertise” as they remain focused on recruiting from the shrinking pool of high schoolers (Dauenhauer et al., 2016, p. 483) . On the contrary, Bellare et al. (2021) noted that the number of adult and non-traditional learners enrolling in colleges to pursue a degree in the United States has steadily increased. In discussing the experiences of non-traditional students in Canada, Panacci (2015) noted that the cohort of adult learners has steadily increased. The researcher identified several strategies cited by that institutions have been using to assist adult learners to further their education. These strategies included continuing education; online learning; pathway, preparatory, and upgrading programs; advising and learning support services; credit for life and work experience; academic orientation; financial aid and on-campus childcare. It is therefore possible for universities to successfully graduate cohorts of adult learners 40 years and older. This can be achieved by giving due consideration to their life situations and implementing strategies to decrease the negative effect of these on their educational pursuits.