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Academic services

Lumina Foundation is interested in solutions that may help institutions better serve adult learners. Adult learners' obstacles are different than typical 18-year-old college students. The following reports speak to the challenges that adult learners face when pursuing higher education:

• The Adult Learning Gap: Why States Need to Change Their Policies Toward Adult Learners (PDF) — This report, commissioned by the Education Commission of the States, shows how adult education and training have not kept pace with the new demands of the workplace and the needs of millions of adults.
• Low-Income Adults in Profile: Improving Lives Through Higher Education (PDF) — This American Council on Education (ACE) report documents low-income adult students' characteristics and needs, as well as the public policies and postsecondary practices that aid or impede their learning. ACE will use the findings to make recommendations about how colleges and universities can implement changes to help these students succeed.

Lifelong learning is an economic necessity. Adult learners have major life responsibilities outside school. They are no longer financially dependent on their parents and may work full time, be married or have dependents. According to U.S. Census figures, adults age 25 and older constitute nearly 65 percent of the nation's population — and that percentage is growing. However, adults in most need of adult education services also may be those least well served by current educational systems.

The cost of education can be a barrier for some adults seeking postsecondary education. Many adult students are considered low income: 40 percent of undergraduates 25 years old and older — nearly 2.5 million people — have incomes of less than $25,000.

Both individuals and employers are seeking new and more efficient venues and methods for learning. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a national leader in the fields of adult education and workforce development. A Lumina Foundation grant supported CAEL's development of tools that ultimately will help schools improve their services to adult students. More... (PDF)

Some adult students may face learning obstacles and deficiency in academic preparation. For example:

• The ACE study showed 41 percent of low-income adult students had taken a remedial course during their academic career, compared to 31 percent of traditional students. More...
• Approximately 40 million adults function at the lowest literacy levels, according to a recent study by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. More... (PDF)

Retention rates among adult students are lower than those of traditional college-aged students. Adult students are less likely than traditional students to attain a postsecondary degree or remain enrolled after five years. According to the ACE study:

• In 1995-1996, 47 percent of low-income adult students aspired to earn a bachelor's degree, and by 2001, 7 percent had succeeded.
• For adult students not considered low-income, 54 percent of other adult students aspired to earn a bachelor's degree in 1995-96 and just 2 percent had succeeded.


• Adult students were at much higher risk of dropping out of school than traditional students. The National Center for Education Statistics has an index of seven characteristics — such as having dependents, working full time, having no high school diploma — that can affect students' academic success.
  • Sixty-one percent of low-income adult students and 66 percent of adult students not considered low income had four or more of these characteristics, which indicates they are at high risk of dropping out of school.
  • Just 8 percent of traditional students had four or more of these characteristics.

Lumina Foundation is supporting efforts to improve the retention rate of adult learners. MDRC, a nonprofit organization, currently is conducting research with support from Lumina Foundation and several other partners. This research involves designing and testing innovations to help low-income adult students succeed in postsecondary education. More...