Learning more about 50-plus students
By Matthew Dembicki, Published October 26, 2007

Higher education institutions are aware of the wave of impending retirees and the potential to serve them. The problem for most colleges and universities is that they don’t know much about the baby boomers—who they are, what they want or how to cater to them.

The American Council on Education (ACE), an umbrella group of higher education sectors, is studying those details.

In the first of a series of reports on 50-plus learners, ACE reviewed the changing demographics of adults 55 to 70, why they participate in higher education and what they perceive as obstacles.

Researchers noted that there is little comprehensive information on the wide range of older adult learners and their postsecondary engagement.

“Comprehensive information in many areas is lacking,” the report said. “Further, much of the qualitative research focuses on older adults who are white, highly educated and middle class.”

Researchers added that national statistics on enrollment rates of part- and full-time students at community colleges and four-year institutions lump 50-plus students in the “40 and over” category, which won’t give a clear picture of the boomer cohort. In addition, the data only include enrollments for academic credit programs.

ACE was able to cull some information about them through recent studies:

• Although typically better educated than previous generations, boomers have a wide span of education needs and desires, from earning GEDs to attaining postsecondary certifications.
• Large numbers of boomers, including minorities, immigrants, displaced workers and those in rural areas, are underrepresented on college campuses.

Many of them do not see higher education as an option or benefit.

• Although colleges have offered various programs for seniors for quite some time, they are not in tune with what impending retirees want, especially training and education for new careers.
• Consequently, older learners want learning assessments, accelerated programs and improved career counseling and job placement.

The ACE report noted that it’s not as simple as referring older learners to existing student services programs.

“The same academic staff who works so well with mid-career professionals in their 30s and 40s may not fully grasp the careers and educational goals of adults in their 50s and 60s,” including career counseling, the report said.

ACE also focused on race, noting that few minorities hold college degrees, yet their numbers will drastically increase over the next 40 years. By 2050, blacks will make up about 14 percent of the 55 to 79 age group (from 9 percent in 2004) and Hispanics will comprise 20 percent (from 7 percent in 2004), making them the largest racial minority of the older population.

That’s critical information given that about 80 percent of Hispanic boomers expect to work during retirement. As one might expect, the most significant barrier to higher education for older learners is cost. Lay offs, divorce, paying for children’s education, taking care of aging parents and living on fixed incomes all factor into making cost an issue, the report said.

“Framing New Terrain: Older Adults and Higher Education” is available at www.acenet.edu. It is part of a two-year study funded by the MetLife Foundation.