But at the moment, you’re blocking traffic because your car’s power steering quit right as you were turning into a parking space. It’s panic time. Do you stay with your car until a tow truck arrives but miss your first college class and risk falling behind from day one? Do you abandon your disabled car and inconvenience every other student trying to get to class? Can you even afford to fix your car?
This particular story — just one example of the many hardships faced by today’s learners — had a happy ending. While the student went to class, one of our admissions counselors diagnosed the problem with a YouTube video and the campus president bought a replacement part that got the car working again. The issue turned out to be just a blown $6 fuse.
This story also underscores an issue faced by so many in higher education. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund was a huge boon to colleges and their students. In 2020 and 2021, the federal government allocated $76.2 billion to the nation’s colleges and universities for COVID-19 relief. The vast majority of these funds flowed directly to students and made all the difference for many of them between stopping out and continuing on.
Learners today face additional financial pressures. Inflation and apartment rents are on the rise. For adult learners with complicated lives — jobs, children and multiple other family responsibilities — the need for support, financial and otherwise, is even more acute.
However, the billions of dollars of federal emergency aid that went to college students during the COVID-19 pandemic have been spent while student needs remain. Today, colleges must be more creative and resourceful than ever before to support their students. They must help build a stable foundation for their learners. Stability — a stable job, a stable place to live, a stable childcare arrangement — can help unlock ability and success.
Colleges should support their students structurally.
College students, especially adult learners, are short on time. Institutions must do as much as possible to fit their schedules around their students’ busy lives rather than making learners turn their lives upside down for school.
For instance, colleges should consider structuring class schedules so students have to come to campus just twice a week. Day classes should wrap up before the end of the school day so parents can be home for their children when school lets out. Classes should take as little calendar time as possible because adult learners who have enrolled in college to launch a new career have no time to waste.
Students should be supported culturally.
Learners should feel comfortable on campus. Something as simple as providing a quiet air-conditioned place to study with reliable Wi-Fi can be a welcome academic oasis.
Many adult learners are the first in their families to attend college, and many say they’re intimidated by the traditional college setting and practices. Moreover, many of them have experienced education failure before, either in high school or at another college.
Institutions should create an environment of belonging by making it clear that supporting students is everybody’s job. Students will seek help from people they are comfortable with — whether it’s their instructors, a financial aid counselor or an admissions staff member.
Students must be supported financially.
Many colleges maintain an emergency assistance fund that can help with unexpected student expenses.
One critical need for cash support is housing. A student who has lost their place to live is likely to drop out unless they find a new home or apartment right away. Micro-grants for temporary lodging can provide stability so students can find permanent shelter and stay in school.
Not every emergency situation is a big-ticket expense. In some cases, it’s just a few bucks for an automotive fuse.
Students must be supported with off-campus resources.
Colleges can’t do everything for their students, but they can connect them with community agencies to help address food and housing issues, physical and mental health and domestic violence. These off-campus resources can help stabilize their lives and, if they’re able, let them continue their studies.
Students notice when an institution has built a culture of caring and belonging. It will strengthen their bond with the college, and they will tell classmates and potential students about being supported, respected and cared for. This positive feedback loop is a win for both learners and institutions.
The key is to be resourceful. Sometimes there’s a low-cost and off-campus solution to a student’s problem. Sometimes college faculty and staff have the answer. Life gets in the way of so many adult learners. Something as simple as the right YouTube video or a $6 fuse can keep a student on the road toward college completion.
