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ERIC Number: ED624379
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Oct
Pages: 18
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"It's a Little Stressful When I Think of It…": Results of a National Survey and Interviews with Never-Enrolled Adults on the Factors That Drive Them to Consider Postsecondary Education and the Barriers to Enrollment. A CAEL Research Brief
Darnell, Barry
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
There are currently more than 62 million American adults whose highest educational attainment is a high school diploma or its equivalent (U.S. Census Current Population Survey, 2021). Many of these adults have considered postsecondary education, and some even applied for a program. Yet, for various reasons, these adults never began a program of study. CAEL conducted a national survey and individual interviews to understand these adults' perspectives of postsecondary education. These research endeavors explored the process by which these adults explored postsecondary options and revealed what most factored into their decisions not to apply or enroll. This report details the research findings and offers recommendations to address enrollment barriers for adults without prior postsecondary education. Among the the key findings are: (1) Financial considerations are the most significant factor when adults decide whether to apply, enroll, or begin a program of study. In addition to price and cost, the opportunity to earn more money is the one of the most common reasons adults consider postsecondary education; and (2) Time is a barrier for never-enrolled adults: both having the time to fit education into their busy schedules and how long a program takes to complete. Adults often search for flexibly-scheduled programs and online options. [For the companion report, "Building Adult Learner Leaders for Institutional Effectiveness (ALLIES): Research Findings and a New Framework for Supporting Institutional Change," see ED624373.]
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. 55 East Monroe Street Suite 1930, Chicago, IL 60603. Tel: 312-499-2600; Fax: 312-499-2601; e-mail: cael@cael.org; Web site: http://www.cael.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Charles Koch Foundation
Authoring Institution: Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A