Older adults in community colleges: Choices, attitudes, and goals

Older adults comprise a growing population in America's community colleges. Today, approximately 15% of adults 40 years or older are enrolled in community colleges. Reasons for choosing the community college are as varied as the students themselves. Arguably, older adults are choosing the community college for reasons that include low tuition, convenient location, comprehensive course offerings, and flexible schedules. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine a cohort of older adults age 55 or older who were enrolled in public two-year colleges in 1996 and 1997. Specifically, the choices, attitudes, and goals of older adults were examined. The descriptive findings provide administrators, faculty, student affairs professionals, and researchers with information about a population seldom examined.