The State of Adult Student Re-Entry

Many smaller colleges and universities are experiencing a drop in traditional-age student enrollments. Higher education costs, as evidenced by enormous student loans, a smaller cohort of 18–22-year-olds, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to fewer traditional students attending. Smaller institutions tend to have lower endowment funding and rely primarily on tuition revenue. Due to sheer necessity, higher education institutions are interested in recruiting and retaining adult students. On a per capita basis, adult students yield more net revenue than traditional-age students as they do not require all amenities offered to their younger cohort. Colleges find attracting earlier drop-outs cost-effective rather than seeking new adult students. Various factors determine when and where adult student re-entry occurs, including timing, funding, institution reputation, opinion of their network, and intended career outcomes. This qualitative phenomenological study utilized a focus group to explore adult students’ experience returning to complete their diplomas. The research question guiding the study is: What influences adult students to return to complete their bachelor’s degrees at a specific time and institution? Understanding the re-entry phenomenon is pertinent to aid practitioners’ preparation in enrolling and retaining adult learners to benefit the student’s future and institution’s retention rates and fiscal health.