“Adult learner” is the name we typically use to refer to students who are aged 25 years and older. They are also called the non-traditional learners.

In 2019, there are 6.6 million adult college students in the country, according to the Education Writer’s Association (EWA). Nearly 38% of the current undergraduate population is comprised of adult learners, based on research by the Lumina Foundation. Of those adult learners, 58% are working and 25% are raising children. Trends indicate that by 2022, adult learners will grow by 22%. That’s an increase of more than 1.3 million students.

Most universities are trying to attract non-traditional students by marketing directly to them. Many adult learners attend college to either advance in their workplace or to expand their career options. Some non-traditional learners want to complete a degree that life circumstances prevented them from earning earlier in life. Adult Learners want to take a path that is efficient and like to see tangible milestones along the way.

Most of the non-traditional students are unable to attend traditional universities due to the time commitment or distance. For instance, adult students with families may feel guilty about having less time to spend with them. Therefore, they look for colleges and universities that offer flexible schedules such as night classes, weekend classes, or online classes. The majority of adult learners are seeking bachelor’s degrees rather than graduate degrees as stated in a study conducted by the Public Agenda and the Kresge Foundation.

Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) provides many opportunities to partner with the community and help adult learners by aligning program offerings to their needs. To achieve this, SMSU has developed 10 new, completely online programs to be offered in Fall 2020. These programs are:

• Community Psychology and Health Promotion

• Elementary Education

• Early Childhood Education

• Special Education: Academic and Behavioral Strategist

• Early Childhood Special Education

• Teaching English as a Second Language K-12

• Marketing

• Management: Supply Chain Management Concentration

• Management: Human Resources Management Concentration

• Management: General Management Concentration.

With these programs, it will be possible for students who are working full-time, to earn a bachelor’s degree without leaving their job. Even though online programs help alleviate some barriers for adult learners, there are other hurdles for adult learners to overcome. One is finding ways to finance their degree because they have families to support and even dependents who attend college. Some adult learners who attended college before completing a degree may have exhausted student aid options leaving them to pay entirely out of pocket. To alleviate some of these financial hurdles, SMSU has created several scholarship programs geared toward adult learners. And, at SMSU, our very knowledgeable financial aid staff is available to help guide students through financial aid applications.

Adult learners may also face the responsibility of taking care of an aging parent or serving in the armed forces. These external responsibilities can make navigating college especially difficult for students. SMSU offers a strong support system to help students balance work and school. To help students with their classes, SMSU offers a variety of services including the math center, writing lab, speech lab, and academic commons. Our Office of Student Success provides support and advising for students.

At SMSU we take great pride in the outstanding education and personalized support we offer students whether they are on campus or online. Our goal is to make SMSU the most student-centered university in the country by providing the programs students want, using the learning method they need, with the support to help them succeed at SMSU and beyond.