Why Adult Learners Leave College—and How to Support Their Return
Understanding why adult learners leave college—and what would support their return— can increase enrollment, improve persistence to graduation, and transform lives.
More than 40 million Americans have attended college but left without earning a degree. For most, this wasn’t a choice they made lightly. Circumstances like financial challenges, family responsibilities, or institutional roadblocks often cause them to put their education on hold. But many stopped out students want to return and complete their degrees, and institutions play a vital role in making that possible. Here’s how colleges and universities can identify and address the most common challenges adult learners face.
Financial barriers
The challenge
Finances remain one of the most significant barriers to education completion for adult learners. In fact, 27% of learners in ReUp’s database indicate that finances are the main reason they stopped attending college. Many adult learners juggle multiple financial responsibilities, such as supporting families, paying for childcare, or managing household expenses, which leaves little flexibility for tuition or additional educational costs. The lack of adequate financial support can make pursuing a degree feel impossible and discourage learners from re-enrolling or completing their programs.
With intentional efforts, colleges and universities can help alleviate the financial strain and ensure that adult learners have a viable path to achieving their academic and professional goals.
Address the challenge
- Develop scholarships and grants dedicated to adult learners.
- Launch loan forgiveness programs for stopped-out students who return.
- Offer flexible payment plans and in-state tuition discounts.
- Provide wraparound services like childcare, transportation assistance, and food security programs.
- Create financial literacy workshops to help students budget and plan for educational costs.
Partner with local organizations to supply resources like laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots.
Life events that interrupt educational goals
The challenge
Life happens, and for many adult learners, major events—becoming a parent, supporting a family member, or facing a personal health crisis—force them to prioritize immediate responsibilities over long-term educational goals. These challenges can disrupt their academic progress, leaving them with fewer opportunities and a prolonged timeline to achieve their aspirations.
Institutions of higher education play a crucial role in supporting adult learners by creating support systems that acknowledge their unique challenges and offer a pathway to degree completion even while balancing personal responsibilities.
Address the challenge
- Introduce flexible learning options for adults, like hybrid learning that combines online and in-person classes.
- Offer weekend or evening courses for working adults and parents.
- Allow learners to take one course at a time for better work-life balance.
- Survey students regularly to identify scheduling needs and preferences.
- Pilot flexible scheduling initiatives and assess their impact on student re-engagement.
Overwhelming re-enrollment processes
The challenge
For learners who have been away from school, navigating the re-enrollment process can feel confusing and discouraging. Complex requirements and a lack of clear guidance create significant barriers, making many adult learners feel unwelcome or incapable of completing the process. Institutions can address this by simplifying procedures and offering tailored support to create a more streamlined and accessible pathway back to education.
Address the challenge
- Simplify application steps by waiving outdated requirements like SAT/ACT scores or immunization records.
- Implement rolling admissions so learners can begin when they’re ready.
- Recognize prior work experience or partial credits toward degree requirements.
- Conduct an audit of existing re-enrollment processes to eliminate unnecessary complexity.
- Establish a re-enrollment team, including academic advisors dedicated to adult learners, that provides personalized support and guidance.
- Download Reimagining Orientation, ReUp’s guide to learn how to welcome adult learners back to campus.
Lack of institutional support
The challenge
Adult learners often experience a lack of representation and support, which can leave them feeling undervalued and misunderstood. Without proactive outreach or tailored resources, they may feel disconnected and overwhelmed, which leads to disengagement. Institutions play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges by fostering environments that are inclusive, adaptable, and responsive to the diverse experiences of adult learners. Through intentional efforts, they can create a sense of belonging for adult learners.
Address the challenge
- Train faculty and advisors to understand the specific challenges adult learners face.
- Invest in proactive success coaching that’s geared to adult learners and offers regular check-ins.
- Create nontraditional student hubs to make resources accessible and build community.
- Leverage ReUp’s data insights and continuous communication to re-engage stopouts—over 40% of adult learners engaged by ReUp return to complete their education.
- Offer customized career services tailored to working adults and their goals.
- Launch peer mentorship programs connecting returning adults with successful graduates.
Maintaining motivation
The challenge
A fear of failure or diminished self-confidence leads many adult learners to pause their education and avoid returning to college after stopping out. This lack of confidence is often wrongly viewed as a lack of motivation, though nearly 66% of stopped-out students in ReUp’s database of over one million learners express a desire to return. Institutions can improve adult learner motivation by providing accessible resources, encouraging environments, and tailored support systems for adult learners.
Address the challenge
- Focus outreach efforts on learners’ intrinsic motivations, such as personal growth or career advancement.
- Share real-life stories of successful re-enrollment to inspire confidence.
- Pair learners with success coaches who provide ongoing guidance and help reconnect them to their goals.
- Introduce peer mentorship initiatives for encouragement and accountability.
Supporting successful returns for adult learners
By addressing financial challenges, life disruptions, institutional barriers, and motivational struggles head-on, colleges and universities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for adult learners. It’s a strategy that increases enrollment, drives persistence to graduation, and ultimately transforms lives.
Want to know how your institution can better support adult learners? Take our institutional assessment here and explore success stories from others who’ve made a difference.
Let’s start the conversation
Schedule a call with a ReUp team member to learn more about what a ReUp partnership could do for your institution.