Heterogeneity of older learners in higher education

November 8, 2018

Authors

  • Phyllis A. Cummins
  • J. Scott Brown
  • Peter Riley Bahr
  • Nader Mehri

Lifelong learning, including completing a postsecondary credential, increasingly is necessary to improve employment outcomes among workers, both old and young, who face rising demands for new and improved skills. To satisfy these needs, many states have established postsecondary completion goals pertaining to the segments of their population ages 25 to 64 years. This study uses data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to examine enrollment trends by part-time and full-time status for students enrolled in Ohio’s public postsecondary institutions from 2006 to 2014. Unlike previous research that considers all students 25 and older as a homogeneous group, this study divides older learners into two groups: ages 25 to 39 and ages 40 to 64.

Adult Learning, 30(1), doi:10.1177/1045159518812077

Topics

  • Education
  • Workforce Issues