Framing New Terrain: Older Adults and Higher Education (PDF; 3.7 MB)
Source: American Council on Education
From press release:

Americans aged 55 to 79 have a strong interest in college-level learning, but their needs for education vary greatly and many barriers stand in their way, says a new report from the American Council on Education (ACE).

The report, Framing New Terrain: Older Adults and Higher Education, explores the changing demographics of 55- to 79-year-olds, examines obstacles that prevent their participation in higher education, and frames discussion issues designed to shape policies and practices that best serve older adults. It is the first report from the ACE research project, “Reinvesting in the Third Age: Older Adults and Higher Education,” which is funded by MetLife Foundation.

The report profiles a cohort of adults who are “entering the third age of life—a stage in recent years defined by personal achievement and learning for self-development.” The report finds that older adults are “beginning to articulate new postsecondary education goals,” including career retooling and fulfilling unrealized dreams.

Framing New Terrain also finds, however, that many older adults are not pursuing additional education. Demographic realities—such as the complicated responsibilities of people in their 50s and 60s—often preclude older adults from continuing their education. Other roadblocks can be attitudinal, such as encounters with ageism, or structural, such as a lack of funding. Moreover, the report finds, colleges and universities “have yet to catch up with the burgeoning demand for new learning options, especially programs for career transitions.”

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Age and Aging, Education, Postsecondary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.