Why Adult Learners Need a Different Approach

Millions of Americans have some college credit but no credential. Reaching them requires more than reopening admissions, it requires understanding how adult learners navigate higher education.

Dr. Kimberly Walker, Chief Strategy Officer at ReUp Education, says adult learners often balance careers, caregiving responsibilities and financial obligations while returning to school. Their path back isn’t measured in weeks, but often in months as they coordinate work schedules, family responsibilities, and finances.

States can do more by working together

Walker believes the most successful state initiatives share three characteristics: centralization, coordination, and long-term sustainability.

Rather than creating isolated programs, states can align institutions, workforce agencies, and community organizations around a common strategy for serving adult learners. One example is New Jersey’s statewide approach. It shows how coordinated investments can strengthen institutional support while reducing duplication.

Institutions don’t have to do it alone

Institutions also benefit from partnerships.

Walker argues colleges should focus on what they do best, educating and supporting students, while partnering with organizations that specialize in reconnecting with stopped-out learners and helping them return when they’re ready.

The bottom line

Serving adult learners requires more than expanding access – it requires coordinated systems, sustained partnerships, and policies designed around the realities of adult students’ lives.