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Adult Learning in Focus
Adult Learning in Focus: National and State-byState Data
Judy Wertheim
www.cael.org
Presented at:
The Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations
September 15, 2008
1
CAEL
• CAEL is the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
• Not-for-profit organization with 35 years of experience in
Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development
• Mission to remove barriers so that adult learners can be
successful in postsecondary education and training
2
Adult Learning in Focus
 This 2008 report was produced with funding
from Lumina Foundation for Higher
Education and in partnership with NCHEMS
 The objective is to provide a comprehensive
look at adult learners in America at the
national and state levels and provide new
data and tools for policy makers
3
Adult Learning In Focus
• National report on current size and shape of
adult learning, barriers to adult participation
• State measures and comparisons among 50
states
• State-by-state profiles
• Policy Framework for assessment and
improvement
4
Adult Learning In Focus
Emerging issues of
global competitiveness
and
demographics of the U.S. workforce
have brought focus to this issue
5
Adult Learning in Focus
 A strong and growing argument for higher
educational attainment in the United States
population and workforce
 Jobs that are expected to support the
economy in the coming years will depend
on a skilled workforce that is able to learn
and adapt quickly to new challenges
6
Adult Learning in Focus
BUT…
A significant portion of the adult U.S. population
has never taken a single college class toward a
degree
Of the population aged 25-64, approximately 43%
(over 67 Million) have only a high school diploma
or less
.
7
Adult Learning in Focus

Other nations are overcoming the
historic lead that the United States has
enjoyed in educational attainment levels

This is not because the U.S. has
declined, but because other nations
have caught up with and surpassed us
8
Percent of Adults with an Associates Degree or Higher
by Age-Group – The U.S. and Leading OECD Countries
(2005)
25-34
45-54
55-64
51.0
37.1
38.4
37.0
36.0
39.3
39.7
14.5
10.0
18.5
15.5
21.6
24.5
27.3
26.9
21.9
16.7
21.8
30.2
39.8
34.8
32.0
33.4
30.4
29.9
17.6
21.7
24.0
30
20
40.6
40.6
35.1
35.6
38.5
40.9
42.5
36.4
40
35-44
46.6
49.5
50
53.2
53.8
60
10
0
Canada
Japan
Korea
Norway
Ireland
Belgium
Denmark
Spain
France
United
States
Source: Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, Education at a Glance 2007
9
Adult Learning in Focus
 As baby boomers ‘retire’ from current jobs,
knowledge and skills gaps grow
 Pipeline of young college graduates will not
be enough to meet future workforce skills
demands
10
Adult Learning in Focus
 At current levels of performance, nine states are
‘on track’ to meet the competitive benchmark of
55% of adults with college degrees
 9 more states could meet the benchmark if they
improved performance to match the bestperforming states
 32 states unable to meet the benchmark, even if
they match the best state performance with
traditional college-age students at each stage of
the educational pipeline
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Even Best Performance with Traditional College-Aged Students at Each
Stage of the Educational Pipeline Will Leave Gaps in More than 30 States
1,333,645
Texas
893,504
Florida
560,688
California
320,720
New Jersey
307,956
Tennessee
287,565
Nevada
204,814
Louisiana
186,640
Arkansas
159,765
Kentucky
132,748
North Carolina
122,061
Arizona
115,120
Mississippi
In order to reach international competitiveness by
114,375
Ohio
112,681
South Carolina
2025, the U.S. and 32 states can’t close the gap with
110,495
Alabama
even best performance with traditional college
74,752
West Virginia
students. They must rely on the re-entry pipeline –
65,853
Alaska
getting older adults back into the education system and
62,332
Oklahoma
53,995
Oregon
on track to attaining college degrees.
53,574
Michigan
47,420
New Mexico
44,757
Wisconsin
39,436
Maine
37,706
Idaho
34,547
Montana
28,659
Hawaii
25,326
Georgia
24,741
Wyoming
23,542
Maryland
Connecticut 10,875
Missouri 8,898
Indiana 2,788
12
0
300,000
600,000
900,000
1,200,000
1,500,000
Adult Learning in Focus
Main sources will have to be tapped to rectify this
shortfall and meet the benchmark:
• Adults (25-64) who never completed high
school – 21 million
• Adults with high school diplomas but no
college—46 million
• Adults with some college but no degree—32
million
13
Adults Age 25-64 with Less than a High School Diploma, 2006
15
10
5.7
6.5
7.1
7.1
7.4
7.4
7.5
7.7
7.8
8.0
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
9.2
9.2
9.6
9.6
9.7
9.7
10.0
10.4
10.7
10.7
10.9
11.0
11.4
11.6
11.6
12.1
12.3
13.0
13.0
13.0
13.3
13.6
14.2
14.8
15.0
15.0
15.1
15.1
15.2
15.5
15.8
15.9
16.0
17.1
18.3
18.6
19.4
20
5
0
ta
Dako
Nort hesota
Minnaii
Haw ont
Verm a
n
a
t
Mo n ming
ire
Wyo Hampsh
New e
Ma inh Dakota
Sout
Iowa aska
Nebr onsin
Wiscka
Alas cticut
e
Conn
s
Utah achuse tt
Ma ssas
Kans sylva nia
Penn ing ton
h
Was ig an
Mich land
Ma ry
Ohio Jersey
New rado
Coloo
Ida h on
Ore g ia
n
Virgi are
w
Delaou ri
Miss na
Ind iais
Illinoh oma
Oklada
Flo ri York
New d St ates
Unite e Islan d
Rhod Virgin ia
a
t
Wes Caro lin
Nort hesse e
Te nngia
Geo r d a
Nevana
a
Arizoh Carolin
Sout n sas
Arkau cky
Kent ma
a
Alab Me xico
New iana
Lo uisssippi
i
Missornia
Calif s
Te xa
14
Puerto Rico 26.5
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS
Adults Age 25-64 with a High School Diploma but No College, 2006
50
43.5
30
ornia
Calif rado
Colo ing ton
h
Was
Utah on
Ore g
na
Arizoland
ts
Ma ry achuse t
Ma ssesota
Minnnia
Virgi s
Te xas
i
Illino aska
Nebr Me xico
New e Islan d
Rhod ii
a
Haw York
New as
Kans ecticut
Conn a
k
Alas ersey
J
Newo
Ida h Dakota
Nort hd St ates
Unite Caro lin aire
Nort hHampsh
New a
d
Flo ri gia
Geo rana
t
Mo n g an
i
Mich d a
Nevaming
Wyo ont
Vermama
Alab issippi
Miss u ri
o
Miss
Iowah Dakota
Sout onsin a
Wisc Carolin
h
Sout are
w
Dela oma
h
Okla esse e
Te nnu cky
Kent iana
Lo uisna
Ind ia
Ohio e
Ma inn sas
Arka sylva nia
Penn Virgin ia
t
Wes
15
Puerto Rico 27.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS
22.7
23.3
24.2
24.7
25.1
25.8
26.0
26.2
26.3
26.7
26.9
27.1
27.5
27.6
28.2
28.2
28.3
28.4
28.6
28.7
28.7
29.1
29.1
29.2
29.4
29.7
30.2
30.2
30.4
31.0
31.2
31.8
31.8
32.5
32.5
32.6
32.7
32.9
33.0
33.0
33.3
33.5
34.9
35.4
35.5
35.6
35.9
36.3
36.7
37.5
40
20
10
0
Adults Age 25-64 with Some College but No Degree, 2006
20
15.5
15.7
16.0
17.0
17.1
17.2
17.6
18.1
18.2
18.6
19.0
19.1
19.4
19.5
19.6
19.6
20.2
20.2
20.3
20.3
20.3
20.5
20.6
20.6
20.8
20.8
20.9
20.9
21.0
21.1
21.4
21.4
21.7
21.8
21.9
22.2
22.4
22.6
23.1
23.2
23.7
23.8
23.9
23.9
24.3
24.7
25.9
26.1
26.7
26.7
27.5
30
10
0
se tts
achu
Ma ssYork
New sylva nia
PennJersey
New ont
Vermt Virgin ia
Wes e Islan d
Rhod are
w
Dela ecticut ire
Conn ampsh
H
New e
a
Ma inh Carolin
Soutnia
Virgi gia
Geo rland
Ma ryu cky
Kent Caro lin a
Nort hda
Flo ri d St ates
Unite
Ohio esse e
Te nnornia
Calif na
Ind ia iana
Lo uish Dakota
Sout onsin
Wisc ssippi
i
Missis
Illino s
Te xaama
Alab aii
Haw
Iowa sas
n
Arkarado
Coloou ri
Miss Me xico
New Dakota
Nort hh oma
Okla esota
Minn as
Kansana
t
Mo n aska
Nebrhing ton
Was ig an
Mich na
Arizo d a
Nevao
Ida h on
Ore g
Utahming
Wyoka
Alas
16
Puerto Rico 13.6
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS
Factors Affecting Adult Participation
Affordability
Accessibility
Aspiration
17
Affordability and the Role of Financial Assistance
 Current federal financial aid policies disadvantage
working adults
 Many state policies follow federal eligibility rules
 Federal workforce development programs can
sometimes pay for postsecondary study, but
eligibility and program restrictions pose limitations
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Federal Financial Aid
 Pell Grants are technically available to less
than half-time students, but do not allow
these students to count living expenses as
part of cost of education
 Pell Grants cannot be used for non-credit
programs
 Federal loans are available only to students
attending half-time or more
19
State-Based Aid
State financial aid policies
 14 states do not provide any need-based aid to part-time
students
 17 states devote less than 10 percent of need-based aid
funds to part-timers
But
 9 states devote between 10 percent and 20 percent of
need-based aid to part-time students
 6 devote more than 20 percent of need-based aid funds to
part-timers
20
Proportion of Need-Based Aid Distributed to Part-Time Students 2004-05
15
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.1
8.0
9.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
0
onsin
Wisc Caro lin a
Nort h
Iowa ma
a
Alab t Virgin ia
Wes
Utah
s
Te xa Dakota
h
Sout
Ohio Dakota
Nort hd a
Nevassippi
i
Miss iana
Lo uisas
Kans
o
Ida h gia
Geo r are
w
Dela on
Ore g sas
n
Arka York
New Jersey
New u ri
o
Miss na
Ind ia esse e
Te nnland
Ma ry sylva nia
Penn
tana
Mo n e
a
Ma in Carolin
h
Sout ii
a
Haw ecticut
Connka
Alas
a
h om
Oklania
s
Virgi achuse tt
Ma ssont
Verm ado
ire
r
Colo Hampsh
New ing ton
h
Was e Islan d
Rhodg an
i
Mich a
d
Flo ri u cky
Kent rnia
o
Calif na
Arizo ing
m
Wyo s
i
Illino aska
Nebr Me xico
New esota
Minn
21
Source: NCHEMS Student Financial Aid Survey
Non-zero
5
11.0
11.0
11.7
13.0
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.8
21.5
20
25.0
26.0
10
Reported that aid was available
for Part-Time Students, but could
not identify how much
25
28.8
30.0
30
41.4
45
40
35
State-Based Aid
 Most states do not provide grant aid to less
than half-time students
 Some states provide grants to students in
short-term, intensive, non-degree programs
that do not qualify for federal aid
 Almost all states have early aid application
deadlines that may disadvantage adults
with multiple obligations
22
Sources of Financial Aid








% Part Time
Pell Grants
20.3
Veterans Assistance
41.9
College Work Study
16.0
Loan
17.7
Employer Assistance
84.1
Scholarship/Tuition Red. 17.4
Other Aid
24.5
All Aid
33.2
Average Award
$1,953
$2,414
$3,019
$4,694
$1,693
$1,765
$1,812
$2,429
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003; Survey of Income Program Participants
(SIPP), 2001–2002
23
Affordability Solutions
Some recommendations include ensuring
sufficient resources for part-time study,
promoting and supporting new financing
strategies such as Lifelong Learning
Accounts, and encouraging higher
education institutions to offer flexible
payment plans and other financial help to
adult learners.
24
Accessibility Solutions
States can:
 provide incentive funding to encourage institutions
to improve their services and programs for adult
learners
 change reimbursement formulas for public
institutions so that there are no disincentives to
serving adult and other nontraditional learners
25
Accessibility Solutions
 encourage better transfer processes between
noncredit and for-credit learning
 create better pathways between two- and fouryear institutions
26
Aspiration Solutions
States can potentially improve college
going rates of adults by raising awareness
of the importance of a skilled workforce
and the benefits of education for
individuals’ long-term employability and
earnings
27
State-Level Data Gaps
Greater federal, state, and organizational
attention to filling gaps in the data will
enhance further national understanding of
adult learning and how it might be improved
28
Some Data Gaps
 Degrees and certificates granted to adults
 Enrollment by adults in noncredit programs as a
proportion of all adults in the population
 College going rates of GED recipients
 Percentage of employees participating in any form of
postsecondary training receiving partial or full support from
employers
29
State Policies Affecting Adult Learners
 Many state policies influence adult educational
participation and success
 Statewide assessments of the impact of policies
and procedures on adult learning would likely lead
to enhanced data and documentation
 The 2007 CAEL/SREB Adult Learning Policy
Review Framework can help address this
important gap in documentation
30
Policies and Practices That Help Adult
Learners
 Raise Awareness about the need for adult
learning
 Address Affordability: reduce the cost of
postsecondary learning for adults
 Address Accessibility: Put postsecondary
learning within reach of adults
 Make the Right Connections: advising, career
pathways, education pathways, articulation and
credentialing
31