How college's treat Adult Learners Different than younger students

# Are Colleges Treating Adult Students Differently Than Recent High School Graduates?

For many adults, going back to college is supposed to be an opportunity for a fresh start.

But some adult students say that once they arrive on campus, they quickly discover that they are not always treated the same way as students who come directly from high school.

The difference is not necessarily found in the classroom or in the grades students receive. Instead, it can appear in the way colleges communicate with students, provide support, schedule classes, handle problems and even approach students who are older.

That raises a difficult question: Are colleges really treating all students equally?

## The difference can begin before the first class

A student graduating from high school may enter college through a system specifically designed for them.

There are freshman orientations, admissions counselors, campus tours, residence-hall programs and staff members whose entire job may be helping new students adjust to college.

Adult students can sometimes encounter a very different experience.

They may be classified simply as "nontraditional" students and expected to navigate the system largely on their own.

Instead of being treated like someone who needs an introduction to college, an adult learner may be treated as someone who should already know how everything works.

That can create a strange contradiction.

An adult student may have more life experience than the average freshman, but they may still need help understanding how a particular college operates.

## Younger students often receive more attention

Colleges know that traditional freshmen need support.

They may receive reminders about registration, financial aid, orientation, advising, tutoring and campus activities.

Some schools have extensive programs specifically designed to keep younger students engaged.

Adult students may not receive the same level of outreach.

A person working full time, raising a family or returning to school after 20 years may not have the time to constantly check a student portal or visit campus offices.

When a college assumes every student will chase down information, the adult student can easily feel forgotten.

## "You're an adult" can become an excuse

One of the biggest frustrations for some adult learners is the response they receive when they ask for help.

Because they are older, there can be an assumption that they should simply figure things out.

An 18-year-old who does not understand a college requirement may be viewed as a new student who needs guidance.

A 35-year-old asking the same question may be treated as someone who should already understand the process.

But being an adult does not mean automatically knowing a college's financial-aid rules, academic policies, registration system or graduation requirements.

Every college has its own procedures.

Students cannot be expected to know rules they were never taught.

## The standards should be the same — but the support should be different

This is where the discussion becomes complicated.

Adult students generally are not asking colleges to give them easier classes or lower academic standards.

They are asking for equal respect and access to support.

A college can demand the same academic performance from a 19-year-old and a 45-year-old.

But that does not mean the college has to assume that both students need the exact same kind of support.

Treating students fairly does not always mean treating them identically.

## Adult students can feel judged for returning to school

Another issue is the perception surrounding adults who return to college.

Some adult students have reported feeling as though they are being judged for being older.

They may worry that professors or staff assume they are behind academically because of their age.

Others can feel uncomfortable when they are surrounded primarily by younger students.

There is also the possibility of being overlooked for campus activities, organizations and opportunities because the college culture is heavily centered around traditional-age students.

That can make an adult learner feel like a visitor in an institution where they are paying tuition just like everyone else.

## Colleges say they welcome adult learners

Most colleges publicly promote programs for adult students.

They advertise online degrees, evening classes, workforce programs, continuing education and flexible schedules.

The message is often clear: It's never too late to go back to school.

But advertising adult education and actually creating an environment where adult students feel respected are two different things.

The real test isn't whether a college has a page on its website dedicated to adult learners.

The real test is what happens when an adult student walks through the door and asks for help.

Are they listened to?

Are their questions answered?

Are they given the same opportunities?

Are they informed about resources?

And are they treated like a serious student rather than an exception to the traditional college model?

## Experience should not become a disadvantage

Adults who return to college often do so because they have decided they want something different.

They may want a better career, a degree they never had the opportunity to earn or a chance to pursue something they put aside years earlier.

That decision can require enormous commitment.

For a college to tell adults that they are welcome while simultaneously treating them as less important would send the wrong message.

Adult students are still students.

They pay tuition.

They complete assignments.

They take exams.

They sit in classrooms.

They earn degrees.

And they deserve the same basic level of attention, respect and support as students coming directly from high school.

## The conversation colleges need to have

The question isn't whether colleges should favor adult students over younger students.

It is whether colleges should stop assuming that one model of student support works for everyone.

Traditional students and adult students may need different forms of assistance, but neither should be treated as less deserving.

As more adults return to higher education, colleges will have to decide whether they truly want to serve those students or simply advertise that they do.

Because welcoming adult learners isn't just about putting an "adult students welcome" message on a website.

It's about how those students are treated once they arrive.

And that's where the difference may really be felt.