Dear Esther:
Thank you so much for letting us know about this new study and thanks to you and your colleagues for focusing on nontraditional adult students in rural areas (study described below). Clearly, providing access to postsecondary education for these adults is an issue of equity and good economic practice.
I'll head over to my university library on my way home to see if the journal in yet but, in the meantime, I want to invite everyone to listen to this 20-minute podcast -- an interview with Esther on this study:
Podcast: Addressing the Biggest Barriers to Education for America's Rural Adults
Cynthia
Postsecondary Completion Moderator
Prins, E., Kassab, C., & Campbell, C. (2015). Adult Learners in Higher Education: A Rural–Urban Analysis of Pennsylvania FAFSA Applicants’ Educational, Demographic, and Financial Characteristics. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 63(2), 71-85.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07377363.2015.1042999
Abstract. This article paints a comprehensive portrait of the demographic, financial, and educational characteristics of Pennsylvania postsecondary students who are adult learners, and identifies rural-urban differences within this group. The study analyzed data from the 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (n = 610,925), supplemented by interviews with two policy experts and six financial aid administrators at rural postsecondary institutions. Adult learners differed from younger students on all measures and experienced more disadvantage. Economic hardship was pronounced: Adult learners’ mean annual family income was less than half that of traditional-age students, and 60% lived in poverty or near-poverty. Salient rural-urban differences included institutional type, parental education, marital status, dependent children, and income. Together, quantitative and qualitative data revealed that adult learners have distinct economic situations (employment status, income), family obligations, and enrollment patterns (e.g., part-time study, short-duration degree programs). Thus, they need different forms of support and financial aid.
Comments
In PA and nationally, only 1 in 5 rural working-age adults has a college degree, compared to 1 in 3 in urban areas. These disparities have remained unchanged for decades. Clearly we have a long way to ago in ensuring equitable access to higher education in rural communities.
Esther