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The number of nontraditional students enrolling in American colleges and universities has grown dramatically in recent years. Among these students, many are older, have jobs and children, or come from underserved communities. They have different needs, aspirations, and assets compared to students enrolling directly in college after completing high school. Those needs include family or caretaking responsibilities, prior workforce experience, or a more urgent need for gainful employment.

This brief from Mathematica explores how partnerships and collaboration, on and off university campuses, can motivate cultural, structural, and programmatic change to better serve adult learners of color. It draws insights from a study of the Partnerships for Adult Learner Success (PALS) initiative, and includes the perspectives and experiences of staff members and students at the eight urban-serving universities that received grant funding through the PALS initiative.

Although this work focused on urban-serving universities, the insights provided can also help other institutions seeking to better reach and serve adult learners of color. 

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