The Tools Adult Learners Need To Pursue A Postsecondary Education

Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 8:39 am
Article: Hugh Grant

In Kentucky, there are nearly 1.4 million adults without a postsecondary credential. A postsecondary credential includes any formal education that takes place after highschool including, college, trade schools, etc. 66% or 928,000 adults from the 1.4 statistic have never enrolled in college. 33% or 464,000 of these adults have some college credits but no degree. Kentucky as a whole, is in the top 10 for states with the highest job vacancy rates, with 52% of people who fall below the poverty line being those who did not attend college/graduate high school.

A postsecondary education matters for two distinct reasons; to close gaps in the workforce and provide more adults with livable wages. By 2031, 63% of Kentucky jobs will require a postsecondary education. Adults who don’t meet these requirements will face more challenges with finding a job to support themselves or their family. Adults that pursue a degree past high school find themselves earning 40k more than those who do not. Not only does pursuing a higher education expand job opportunities, it almost guarantees a higher income.

Although it is preferable for adults to attend college or trade school, it is not realistic for everyone. Financial challenges, family obligations, work commitments, or academic readiness are all details to consider when looking at the above statistics. 48% of adult learners have children, and face the challenges of limited childcare availability or lack of affordable childcare. Between 2019 and 2021, 15,856 childcare centers closed nationwide. In 2023, the average cost of childcare in the state of Kentucky reached $6,411 per year ($534 per month). An increasing demand for a decreasing supply not only escalates prices, it leaves financially challenged families who need childcare unable to pay for it.

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This directly relates to why some are unable to pursue a postsecondary degree, financial challenges. Around 50% of adult learners in Kentucky receive a pell grant, which is a federal grant program for students with the greatest financial need. Even with these financial programs in place, many adult learners still face gaps in covering the costs needed to attend college or trade schools. Annual unmet needs averages around $9,359 for public university students and $6,098 for KCTCS students. These numbers only factor in for students who receive the pell grant, leaving those who don’t qualify at more of a financial disadvantage. Even with the help of financial aid, these annual numbers are more than many households can afford to pay, further widening the educational gap between people who can afford college and those who can’t.

Work commitments bestows yet another challenge many adult learners face. Three in five full time undergraduate adult learners are also working, while four in five part-time undergraduate adult learners are working. This spreads the time of these learners very thin, with many juggling a job or two at the same time they are enrolled in school. Academic readiness is the final obstacle adult learners face as many have been out of the classroom for many years and may require additional academic support to be successful.

All of these factors impact adults who are 4x less likely to complete their postsecondary education than students enrolling after high school. Adult learner success is essential to Kentucky’s educational attainment goal of 60% of the population with a postsecondary credential by 2030. The attainment strategy has multiple opportunities to get engaged. People can join the Adult learner community of practice to connect with peers and share best practices. They can participate in the professional development exchange for training and technical assistance to support learner reengagement. They can connect with the childcare solutions network and parenting-student voice research, to enhance resources for parenting students. And they can strengthen workforce partnerships in high-need industries through CPE’s workforce and economic development unit. These resources provided are there to help people pursue a higher education while minimizing the barriers many may face along the way.

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