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Adult Learners
The PLA Boost

Results From a 72-Institution Targeted Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes

Oct. 22, 2020
Adult students who receive college credits for prior learning are more likely to complete academic programs than their peers without prior learning assessment (PLA) credits, suggests this report from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Students with PLA also save time and money in earning their degrees, according to the study.
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Adult Learners
Fulfilling the Promise

Re-Enrolling America’s College Stopouts

Sept. 22, 2020
Personal obligations prevent many students from completing their degree on their first attempt. Life gets in the way and too often these students are left with debt and lack the benefits afforded to those with college degrees. This working paper from EAB explores how colleges and universities can help “stopouts” re-enroll.
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Adult Learners
Unseen Costs

The Experiences of Workers and Learners in Los Angeles County

June 23, 2020
Workers and learners are well aware of the benefits of postsecondary degrees and the value of work in developing useful skills. But they face a disconnect between their jobs and their career goals, and one that is only furthered by the challenges in obtaining internships and work-study programs that move them further toward their future…
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Adult Learners
Helping Older Students Make Good Decisions When Borrowing for College
March 3, 2020
Adults returning to school after time away face unique challenges, such as determining how much to borrow to finance their education. Overborrowing can cause significant problems, but borrowing too little can be just as much of a problem. This report from the Urban Institute aims to help counselors and other advisers better understand how borrowing…
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Adult Learners
Policies Impacting Today’s Part-Time Students

Boosting College Access and Completion for All

Feb. 21, 2020
The current higher education system—and the policies that govern it—can result in barriers for some part-time students, such as the inability to access student support services and the misalignment between higher education and workforce systems. But, this doesn’t have to be the case. Policies and institutions of higher education can better support part-time students by…
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Adult Learners
Some College and No Degree

How individuals who attend and don’t graduate feel about education

Dec. 17, 2019
In a collaborative study of more than 40,000 Americans who started attending college, but did not finish with a degree, this report provides insights into the reasons they stopped out of college, and what could help them return.
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Adult Learners
Why Equity Matters for Adult College Completion

Lessons from the Adult Promise states

Dec. 10, 2019
Adult promise program leaders and their partners are incorporating a racial equity focus into initiatives targeting adult learners through goal setting, outreach and recruitment, financial supports, and completion strategies. The report offers advice for educators exploring adult promise efforts in their states.
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Adult Learners
How Affordable Are Public Colleges in Your State for Low-Income Students?
Dec. 4, 2019
After grants, scholarships, and earnings from working 10 hours per week (a reasonable workload that won’t jeopardize academic success), students from low-income backgrounds still have to come up with thousands of dollars to cover the full cost at public colleges in just about every state. We call this the “affordability gap.”
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Adult Learners
Focus Magazine, Fall 2019: A Dangerous Divide

Rural students face a growing gap in college-level learning

Sept. 20, 2019
Here’s a surprising fact: Students from America’s rural communities graduate from high school at rates higher than the national average. Fully 80 percent of them finish 12th grade, just a shade below the 81 percent who graduate from more prosperous suburban schools. Making up about 14 percent of the school-age population, rural students also score…
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Adult Learners
What Works for Adult Learners

Lessons from Career Pathway Evaluations

July 10, 2019
At a time when 29 million people across our nation are without a high school equivalency, and nine out of ten jobs in the United States are going to candidates with degrees, it is clear that we need bold and scalable solutions to get more people on pathways to economic opportunity.
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