Adult student enrollment is on the rise at the University of Alabama, and serving this student population is becoming more and more of a priority for the institution’s brass.
The number of adult learners enrolled at the university has increased steadily since 2008.
“Distance learning degrees are on the increase, both in supply and demand,” Rebecca Pow, associate dean of the College of Continuing Studies, told the University of Alabama’s The Crimson White.
The University has developed a program called BackToBama, designed specifically for students who completed a minimum of 15 credit hours but left the university without completing their degree and who have been separate from the university for at least two semesters.
“We have several students who have achieved a very high level of success without their degree, from corporate executives to professional athletes. But, on a very personal level, they feel there is something missing,” Nina Smith, program manager for Student Services at the University of Alabama, told The Crimson White. “So, returning to school or starting for the first time for an adult student it is not necessarily for monetary gain or career advancement, but for the pride and the sense of self-achievement.”
