REACHing for more: How Higher Education Can Better Serve Adult Learners by Addressing Time Poverty

Sometimes referred to as “non-traditional students,” adult learners often juggle education with full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and other life commitments. “Non-traditional” suggests that it is the student who doesn’t fit into the system, when in fact, it is the system that struggles to accommodate the diverse needs of learners from various walks of life. In this post, we’ll explore why adult learners are not a monolith, why addressing time poverty is critical to improving outcomes, and a few lessons learned from the REACH Collaborative centering on how higher ed institutions can better support this population.

Who are “Adult Learners”?

“Adult learners” refers to students typically age 25+ who have returned to college after a break, or are entering postsecondary education later in life to change careers, upskill, or for personal enrichment. These students often have specific educational goals, schedule restrictions, and varied support needs that institutions established to support “traditional” high school graduates have historically struggled to meet. 

Additionally, it is important to note that adult learners are not a homogeneous group. With their diverse backgrounds,life experiences, and motivations, some seek a degree for career advancement, while others need to upskill in a specific area or  want to complete a long-delayed educational aspiration. Because of this diversity, there is no single “one-size-fits-all” solution to support adult learners effectively.

Language matters. “Non-traditional” implies that the student is the one who doesn’t fit into the system, rather than acknowledging that the system itself may be failing to accommodate the diverse needs of learners. By reframing the conversation, we recognize that it is the structure of higher education that needs to evolve in order to serve learners from all walks of life. In fact, many institutions are starting to move away from using the term “non-traditional” in favor of recognizing the diversity of all students—whether they are returning adult learners, students from different cultural backgrounds, or those with different learning needs.

Why Should Higher Ed Care About Adult Learners?

So, why should institutions of higher education prioritize meeting the needs of adult learners, especially those served by initiatives like REACH? The answer is clear: adult learners are key to addressing enrollment challenges in the current higher education climate.

• Declining Enrollment: Enrollment among traditional 18-year-olds has been on the decline, with a 6 percent drop in first-year college applicants and colleges are closing at an alarming rate—one per week.
• Demographic Cliff: By 2022, 36.8 million adults had some college but no degree, highlighting a significant opportunity to re-engage this population. 
• Financial Pressures: Rising college costs have disproportionately impacted lower-income students, many of whom must work longer hours to cover tuition, while middle- and upper-income families take on more loans.

Adult learners are not just an underserved group; they represent an essential segment of the student population poised to become the “new majority” that could help stabilize enrollment and drive the future of higher education.

REACH Collaborative: What We’ve Learned

For over three years, the REACH Collaborative states and colleges have done the research and reflection needed to make a tangible difference for all adult learners, especially those of color. These changes range from streamlining Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) policies to hosting “One Day, One Stop” events and developing clear pathway maps for adult learners.

One thing that all of these changes have in common is a recognition of the fundamental need that adult learners share: time. It may seem simple, but adult learners’ time is stretched thin by work, family, and other responsibilities. Higher education institutions cannot expect to improve the economic outcomes of this population without first addressing the “time poverty” they experience.

Time Poverty: The Unifying Barrier

When we think of time as a finite resource, it’s easy to see how time poverty—the lack of sufficient time to meet personal, professional, and academic needs—becomes a primary barrier to success for adult learners. In traditional terms, time poverty is the lack of time to maintain physical and mental well-being. In the context of higher education, however, scholars define time poverty as the lack of available time to devote to academic work. Simply put, time poverty reduces the amount of time adult learners have to focus on their studies, which in turn can affect their academic performance and overall success.

Time poverty, exacerbated by demographic and environmental factors, can lead to poorer course outcomes, lower graduation rates, and a higher likelihood of dropping/stopping out. The more hours an adult learner works or the more family responsibilities they shoulder, the less time they have for studying, attending class, or completing assignments. This creates a vicious cycle that makes it harder for adult learners to thrive in a system designed for full-time, younger students who, decades ago, were less likely to face these same time constraints.

What Can Higher Education Do?

How can higher education institutions better support adult learners and specifically those in REACH audiences? Here are some effective strategies that have been tested by the REACH Collaborative:

1. Streamline Credit for Prior Learning (CPL): Making it easier for adult learners to receive credit for work experience, military service, or other forms of learning outside the classroom is a key way to reduce the time and cost of earning a degree. Forsyth Technical Community College (NC) has developed a robust ecosystem for CPL on their campus. 
2. Create parent-friendly spaces on campus: Offering services and events like Parenting Student Month at Aurora Community College (CO) can foster a greater sense of community for adult learners on campus. 
3. One Day, One Stop Events: Hosting One Day One Stop events such as this one at SUNY Ulster where adult learners can access all the resources they need in one place—advising, financial aid, registration—saves them time and streamlines the process of enrolling in or continuing their education.
4. Audit coursework to ensure night and online availability: Ensure course scheduled work for the diverse needs of Adult Learners. One REACH institution, Butte College (CA), developed the Degree on the Go program which is a 24-month pathway to a business degree for students working full time.
5. Incentivize Industry Responsive Credentials: Adult learners need clear, efficient roadmaps that help them understand the steps required to acquire a job in their industry of choice. Virginia’s Workforce Credential Grant is a pay-for-performance model which incentivizes program completion and ultimately connects adult learners with credentials in high demand fields.

Increasing efficiency results in a win-win-win

Ultimately, higher education institutions must shift their focus from just tracking outcomes to considering the needs of the students who are working toward those outcomes. The REACH Collaborative demonstrated that addressing the needs of adult learners is not only beneficial for those students but for the institution as a whole. Making systems more efficient, and recognizing time as the precious resource it is, will not only improve outcomes for adult learners but will also benefit “traditional students”, faculty, and staff. By prioritizing time management and providing tailored support, higher education can create a more inclusive and effective system that works for everyone.

When we focus on the students, we unlock the full potential of the system—and create a win-win-win for students, educators, and employers alike.