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By Marybeth Gasman - EvoLLLution. 1. What are the most significant challenges higher education institutions face when it comes to increasing accessibility for inner-city youth?
The first thing you have to think about is what [the term] “inner-city youth” means. For most people, “inner city youth” means they’re low income and often underprepared, although there are lots of youth in inner cities that are doing just fine. More...

By Susan Aldridge - EvoLLLution. 1. What are the biggest roadblocks first-generation students face when it comes to accessing higher education?
A number of students are not in homes in which someone knows what it takes to be successfully admitted to and enrolled in a university. You’d be surprised how many people will wait until the summer to talk about doing what’s necessary to go to college when there is an application process, a deadline, which may be April or May and then the issue of financial aid. What happens to a number of students who are first generation [is] they end up saying at the last minute that they definitely want to go to college and they plan to go, but they simply have not understood the timing involved in that decision making. More...

By Katherine Saunders - Co-Written with Manuela Ekowo - EvoLLLution. In today’s economy, postsecondary education and workforce training are the gatekeepers for economic mobility — both for individuals and their families. Nearly two-thirds of all jobs will require at least some postsecondary education by 2020. For low-income workers, postsecondary credentials are crucial to obtaining stable, family-supporting employment, entering the middle class and ending the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Evidence indicates that a parent’s economic status is inextricably linked with child well-being; children in poor families are substantially more likely to be poor as an adult compared to children in more affluent families. More...

By Meegan Bassett - EvoLLLution. Midwest private colleges are going all out to attract a dwindling number of recent high school graduates. The truth is they’ve missed an entire group of dedicated students waiting to be discovered. Nationally, more than one third of adults over the age of 25 have no college education. Colleges committed to having a positive impact on their community can make a major dent in local poverty by investing in college success for low-income single mothers in particular. More...

By Kaye Moon Winters - EvoLLLution. It’s high season on college campuses around the country as new student orientations prepare a new freshmen class for the coming semester at San Jacinto College (San Jac). I catch the eye of the young First Year Experience (FYE) leader as she leads her tour to a stop outside The N2L Outreach and Support Center for the Adult Learner. More...

By Mary Sue Vickers - EvoLLLution. Community colleges throughout the country are assisting adults aged 50 and over coming to campus to update their workplace skills and train for new careers. But these non-traditional students have special needs and many colleges find just a few simple adjustments can ease their pathway back into higher education. More...

By John DeLalla - EvoLLLution. So, how does a higher education institution, adept at working with Jake’s children, change to better serve older career changers like Jake?
1. Make the Bureaucracy Easier
Higher education bureaucratic processes are notably complex and, especially for someone who has not been involved with an enrollment process or financial aid application for decades, it can become a barrier to access. To overcome this, institutions should offer services such as in-person service advising and registration, numerous flexible payment options, printed class summaries and a plethora of online options. Tangible items and a friendly face with a compassionate ear help ease the stress of more mature students. More...

By Ofer Sharone - EvoLLLution. 1. What are the most common characteristics of an individual considered to be “long-term unemployed”?
“Long-term unemployed” means someone who has been out of work for 27 or more weeks. We’re very familiar with the characteristics of people who are unemployed. We know that education matters a lot, that people without a college degree have higher rates of unemployment. But it may be surprising when you think about long-term unemployment [and] how these rates work out differently. More...

By Scott Campbell - EvoLLLution. 1. What differentiates an individual considered “long-term unemployed” from other unemployed individuals?
Scott Campbell (SC): From a demographic perspective, we know this group is about 55 percent more likely to be male than female. There’s a disproportionate number of single parents who are long-term unemployed. It brings about the complexity of issues going onto a college campus — the idea that programs need to be flexible to meet the unique needs of working adults and that often includes raising children, all of those types of things.
Donna Younger (DY): Qualitatively, there are things academic institutions have to expect from students who have been long-term unemployed. Part of it is attitudinal. There’s a shift sometimes from, “This is a temporary situation and I’m on top of it” to, “I’m concerned now that I’m a failure and I don’t know what I’m going to do.” More...