How to reach adult students and nail down what they want from an educational experience
Brenda Harms, Ph D.
The college recruiting marketplace is a perfect storm – 3 ‘gales’
- Changing demography
- Rising cost to attend
- Increased competition for students and donor dollars
Colleges traditionally are slow to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
Marketplace realities
- Half the populations lives in the south – 10 states
- Youth population in MI will decrease until 2010
- 9% decrease in HS grads in MI to 2018
- by 2015 36% will be students of color. Many students of color are uncomfortable at private school
Predictions
- Increased enrollment among: Students of color, adults, seniors, commuters, part time students, women
- Public school enrollment is on the rise; privates are in a tough spot
- Globalization of higher ed. is on the rise
- Erosion of US as world education leader
- More US students are going abroad to study
For-profits have things to teach us
- Customer service is key. Probably the biggest single thing you can do at your school
- Career placement
- High-demand curricula – need to be able to change on a dime. New curricula – most institutions can’t roll out new programs very quickly
- Flexible academic calendar
- Pricing and cost – financial aid availability/marketing
- Scale economies and operating efficiencies
- Online programs. Business and industry across the country are comfortable with online degrees, vs. 20 years ago. Only higher ed still turns up their noses at online
Students increasingly don’t get the difference between public, private and f0r-profit institutions.
Students don't understand the meaning or implications of accreditation. Neeed to educate prospects on that.
Who are adult students?
- No clear definition – blurry line. What is DU definition?
- If you’re not 18, living residentially, and going full time, you are an adult – one definition.
- Only 16% of students are 18-22 and attend fulltime.
- The over-25 population is the fastest growing population for the last 30 years.
- Today's student: 40% are part time, 40% – two year school, 47% are 25 or older, 58% are 22 and older
Motivators: Why do adults enroll?
- Major life transition
- Career change
- Career advancement
- Educational requirement for job
- Second or third career
- personal achievement/fulfillment
What they look for
- Flexible schedule
- Convenience (in and out parking, one-stop – make it easy through the entire enrollment/financial aid sytem) Adult students will leave easily if you make them jump thru hoops … btw, adjuncts (real world experience) faculty a plus with adults
- Credit for Life experience
- Accelerated completion – time is money.
- Valid learning experience – not here for the social life
- Multiple learning alternatives – nights, weekend, online
Top 4 considerations
- Flexible schedule
- Cost to attend
- Transfer in credits
- Convenient location
Major concerns
- Paying for school
- Managing time between family and school (postcard ‘to the child of …’ says ‘we understand your life’)
- Managing time between work and classes
How are they finding you?
- 96 % are looking at your WEBSITE - needs to be something on your site that says “adult learners” see Ivy Tech’s site – half traditional/half adult.
- 89% are contacting admissions office directly
- 78% general web search
- 70% word of mouth
How to use this info
- leverage adult student motivators (above) in marketing, program creation, services
- Pull heart strings (tell stories - marketing)
- Discuss potential income (be program specific)
- Graduate level – market position, authority and power
- Educate students on actual costs
- Personal success stories that address the issue of time and work
- Promote top considerations (above)/ desired attributes
- Promote that 'other thing' that makes you better – everyone lists costs, convenience, flexibility. Example: DU could tell individual faculty stories as a way to promote academic excellence
- Recognize differences in adults learners vs. traditional students in recruiting, programs, services
- Invest in human capital and training – staff, faculty. It’s about service.
- Leverage personal enrichment factors.
- Explain the great mysteries of financial aid. Consider adult student-only scholarships (a few hundred dollars works wonders – shows person someone is interested in making an investment in them.)
- Website – you need an adult student presence there! Address the adult student’s key concerns.
- Examine/reconsider your institutional policies toward adult friendly policies for giving credit for life experience (even 3 credits is something - you don't have to give away degrees!) and for transferring in college credit
- Leverage Personal Enrichment in marketing. If it makes you cry, use it. Tell stories - they get a lot of mileage. The ‘what are you waiting for?’ angle. “where do you want to be x years from now?”
- Take lessons from the for-profit world: Recruitment – immediate and next day call backs. Retention – personal, individual advising
- Make sure you can deliver on what matters most to adults: Flexible scheduling, cost, convenience
- Take a hard look at your internal processes: financial aid processes, advising, phone service, website.
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