How They Pay - The Voices of Adult Learners on College Affordability, and How Institutions Are Responding

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

Affordability is central to adult learners’ academic success. Based on a national survey of 996 adult learners, interviews with 47 adult learners, and interviews with personnel at six institutions, the report examines how adult learners pay for college, how money shapes enrollment decisions, and the financial guidance they receive. It highlights how prior postsecondary experiences—such as exhausted grants or loan debt without credential value—create hesitation and skepticism. The study also outlines institutional support strategies and recommends federal and state policy changes to improve postsecondary affordability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Expanding College Access and Success: The Importance of the Affordability Challenge

Adult Learner Voices on College Affordability

Financial Aid Advisors’ Approaches to Serving Adult Learners

Institutional Support Strategies Addressing Affordability

Recommendations for Institutional Practice

Needed Policy Changes to Support Postsecondary Affordability for Adult Learners

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

Appendix: Methodology

A CA EL RESEARCH REPORT JULY 2023 LANA MUNIP AND REBECCA KLEIN - COLLINS # How They Pay The Voices of Adult Learners on College Affordability,and How Institutions Are Responding cael.org Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................... 1 Expanding College Access and Success: The Importanceof the Affordability Challenge ........................................................... 2 Adult Learner Voices on College Affordability.................................5 Financial Aid Advisors’ Approaches to Serving Adult Learners... 27 Institutional Support Strategies Addressing Affordability........... 31 Recommendations for Institutional Practice................................. 36 Needed Policy Changes to Support PostsecondaryAffordability for Adult Learners ...................................................... 39 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 42 Acknowledgements .......................................................................... 42 References ......................................................................................... 43 Appendix: Methodology................................................................... 45 # Key Takeaways Affordability is central to adult learners’ academic success. Based on datafrom a national survey of 996adult learners, interviews with 47 adult learners, and interviews with personnel at six institutions, thisstudy explores how adult learners pay for college, the role money plays in their enrollment decisions, andthe type of financial guidance they receive. It offers recommendations for institutions andpolicymakers on how to better support adult learners in their pursuit of postsecondaryeducation. One of the key takeaways from this study is that adult learners’ perspectives onfinancing their current educational pursuits are often formed by their previous postsecondary experiences in which they may have exhausted available grant dollars or taken on loan debt without ending up with a credential of value — or a credential of anykind. These experiences, particularly if they have led to substantial loan debt, can engenderhesitation, concern, or skepticism over the advice they receive as a student today. Manyadult learners interviewed for this report fall under the category of “some college, nodegree.” In their earlier postsecondary experiences, they may not have fully understoodthe implications of taking on thousands of dollars of student loans or how to navigate andunderstand the complexity of “satisfactory academic progress” or “maximum timeframe”requirements. This history can loom large over how they decide to finance their educationtoday. They may choose to pay out of pocket rather than take on loans, or they may avoidfinancial aid advisors who might be able to point them to institution-specific resources oralternative funding sources. Another key takeaway is that many of these adults are nevertheless determined to follow through and earn a credential, typically piecing together multiple sources of funding to stay inschool and finish what they started. As one adult learner commented:“I’ve needed all of it. Every singlebit I could get.”When loan alternatives are available — whether through employer tuition assistance,veterans benefits, adult learner scholarships, state grants, or COVID funds — they express relief andgratitude, while continuing to voice concerns about how they will afford next year’s tuition. What can institutions do about this? The centrality of institutional support for adult learners cannotbe understated. Many adult learner undergraduates are not well-resourced. Comprehensive financialaid advising, opportunities to earn credit for prior learning, other options for accelerating learning, anda campus infrastructure that supports non-instructional expenses can go a long way to supporting

FAQs

What data sources does the report use to study adult learners’ college affordability?

It uses a national survey of 996 adult learners, interviews with 47 adult learners, and interviews with personnel at six institutions.

How do adult learners’ prior postsecondary experiences affect their current financing decisions?

Many form their views based on earlier experiences where grants were exhausted or loan debt was taken on without obtaining a credential of value, leading to hesitation, concern, or skepticism toward advice they receive now.

What institutional and policy actions does the report recommend to improve affordability and adult learner success?

It recommends comprehensive financial aid advising, credit for prior learning, options to accelerate learning, and campus infrastructure for non-instructional expenses, along with systemic federal and state changes such as supporting Pell Grant effectiveness and making prior learning expenses eligible for aid.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor