Many adult students of color are managing a delicate balancing act of life responsibilities that could collapse at any moment. Whether the issue is loss of financial resources, transportation, or childcare, finding the right help when things fall apart becomes one more hurdle. Adult students of color need proactive, holistic support that starts addressing their needs in and out of the classroom before they step foot in one. Combining academic supports, like tutoring, and non-academic or basic needs supports, such as food, transportation, or childcare, in a sequence designed to meet adult students’ needs at each stage of their college journey proactively eliminates barriers to success. It also increases the likelihood that these students will be able to meet the demands of school and their busy lives, even if issues arise.

Shared Experiences

Hear from adult learners of color and the leaders and staff who are helping to support their needs. Hear more practitioner perspectives »

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Everyone has a role to play. What’s yours?

Recruitment and Enrollment

  • Are academic and non-academic supports being highlighted in materials promoting pathways? Are you making sure these materials are visible and accessible in places where they are most likely to reach adult students of color?
  • Are you offering virtual and in-person registration events and office hours at different times of day to accommodate other responsibilities for adult students of color, like work schedules and parenting duties?
  • Are you proactively identifying specific support needs for adult students of color during enrollment? Are you connecting students with appropriate resources?

Advisors and Career Staff
  • Are you offering adult students of color the option to meet and communicate with you either in person or online?
  • Are you connecting adult students of color who need academic support with tutoring services? Are these services offered at various times during the day? Are they offered in-person and virtually? Are they available to students in both non-credit and credit courses?
  • Are there internship opportunities associated with the selected pathways? Are those internships paid or unpaid? Are they conducive to caregiving and work schedules?

Faculty
  • Beyond textbooks, do you require other supplies, such as uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE), for your class?
  • If fees for materials can be included in financial aid, are you ensuring that adult students of color are aware of this?
  • Are you identifying publicly available Open Educational Resources (OER) for the course that could lower or eliminate out-of-pocket costs for adult students of color?
  • Do students have an option to meet and communicate with you either in person or online?

Student Support Staff
  • Do you have a food pantry on your campus? Is it open in the evenings and available to students in non-credit pathways? If a campus food pantry does not exist, do you have connections with one in the community?
  • Can you connect adult students of color with mental and physical healthcare services available on campus? Are you helping to assess and provide feedback on the cultural competence of those services?
  • Do you have relationships with other service providers in the community, such as transportation and childcare providers, that can be leveraged to support adult students of color?
  • Do you proactively let students know when and how they can access emergency grants and loans? Is the application process easy to complete? Are funds awarded quickly?
REACH Collaborative Webinar

Leveraging Public Programs for Student Success

This presentation offers guidance on student eligibility requirements for federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and policies and practices for providing institution-level support.

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