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State Policies to Support Adult Learners' Access and Success

From the U.S. President to business, education, and foundation CEOs, American leaders are expressing their deep concerns about U.S. postsecondary participation rates. To change the current 10th-placed standing to first among nations, President Obama has challenged every citizen to complete at least one year of postsecondary education, setting an ambitious goal of 60 percent of Americans to hold an associate or bachelor's degree by 2020. With the current rate at 39 percent, it will take concerted efforts at the community, state, and national level to meet this target. Further, this calculation represents unprecedented numbers of adults going to college.

States play critical roles in creating new educational pathways for millions of adults—including GED credential earners, military service members and veterans, displaced workers, and adults age 50 and older—who have been unable to begin or complete postsecondary training and education. Kentucky, for example, has focused on adult learners in its initiative to double the numbers of college graduates. Arkansas, Colorado, and Nevada, partnering with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, are part of a two-year project, Non-traditional No More.

What are states doing to increase adult learners' access and success, particularly during a time of rising unemployment? As new policies emerge, First Stop will highlight the state policies geared to meet this daunting challenge.

View state policies on adult education and lifelong learning.

More Resources

For more resources on financial assistance policies visit ACE's Improving Lives Project Online Database to search over 400 state and federal postsecondary funding options for low-income adults.

Email us about policies for adult learners in your state at lifelong_learning@ace.nche.edu.

Please direct questions about this page to:
lifelong_learning@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on 05/19/2009