How to Provide Adult Learners and Immigrant Women the Education They Need

I lead a college, Urban College of Boston, that educates students who are, in their majority, over the age of 30, nearly all of whom come from the lowest socioeconomic quintile. Many of our students are also immigrants or children of immigrants. Ninety percent are people of color—primarily Latinx, Black, and Asian American. Most are women. But all our students are united in their quest for a better life.

Most discourse on higher education focuses on younger, traditional students who can pause their lives for four years to attain a bachelor’s degree. According to the nonprofit Educational Data Initiative, 60.7 percent of college students enrolled full-time.

But this system is not working. A third of college students drop out and do not complete a degree within six years. In the United States, there are nearly 37 million adults with some college but no credential, and that number is increasing.

The traditional vision of a college student is out of date with today’s reality—a reality in which many students may have spent years in the workforce before returning to college and are already parents. Our thinking on higher education must change.

The State of US Higher Education: Good News and Bad News

[The education] system is not working. A third of college students drop out and do not complete a degree within six years…nearly 37 million adults.

While college has positive effects at the individual level, it also has macroeconomic benefits. Research demonstrates the significantly higher income that people with more education can expect to earn. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, individuals with a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of $1,432 compared to $853 for those with only a high school diploma. Postsecondary education is also positively associated with better health outcomes. In sum, an educated citizenry benefits society.

But what about the “stopped-out students” (students who temporarily leave) and those who drop out? What about those who could not attend college directly after high school? What about new Americans for whom a college education was not possible in their country of origin? The educational gaps these groups face should be addressed.

There is some good news. Our country’s educational attainment is at an all-time high. More than 90 percent of adults age 25 or older had a high school diploma or its equivalent in 2021, according to the US Census Bureau. A report by the Lumina Foundation in 2022 found that 54 percent of working-age adults earned a college degree or other postsecondary credential, with women more likely to enter higher education and more likely to graduate.

Yet cost can be a major deterrent. The average cost of college is nearly $40,000 per year, including books, supplies, and cost of living. College debt—which today totals over $1.7 trillion—adds to students’ economic hardships. Those with student debt are more likely to delay homeownership, contribute less toward retirement savings, put off purchasing a car, and take longer to achieve other important financial milestones.

Postsecondary Education for Today’s Older Students

Helping adults with a wide range of education levels acquire valuable skills is no easy task, especially when English is not their first language. In regions with high costs of living where many residents, including immigrants, work multiple jobs, postsecondary options must meet learners where they are.

To meet the educational needs of older learners, accessibility, affordability, and convenience are key. Learners, especially those returning to school after being out of the educational system for years, may not think themselves capable. Any hurdles placed in their way may deter them or give them a reason to stop. Higher education professionals must be trained in approaching these students with that sensitivity.

In Becoming a Student-Ready College, Tia Brown McNair and her colleagues provide examples of how colleges can effectively serve these students. While it is easy to see perceived deficits that older learners have, emphasizing the assets they bring to the educational journey will help them envision their success and persist through the completion of their credentials, suggests Tara Yosso’s model of cultural wealth.

Supporting Parents in College

With the labor shortage issues we face today, promoting postsecondary education for parents, especially mothers, will pay dividends. According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, nearly a quarter (22 percent) of all undergraduate students today are parents. About 70 percent of the 3.8 million undergraduate student-parents today are mothers. Sixty-two percent of those are single mothers. The data also reveal that 40 percent of female undergraduate students identifying as Black had dependent children, compared to 26 percent of White and Latina female students.

The research is unequivocal about the positive intergenerational impact of college attendance on mothers and their kids. Children whose mothers went back to college—whether for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree—after dropping out of college are more likely to enroll and complete college themselves. Unfortunately, fewer than 25 percent of mothers who returned to college after stopping out completed their degrees.

According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, nearly a quarter…of all undergraduate students today are parents.Across all parents—including fathers—even some college attendance leads to higher educational attainment for their children. High school and college completion rates for children whose parents attempted or finished college are higher than their counterparts with parents with no college experience. In general, women have more financial incentive to pursue higher education, as those with low educational attainment rates are penalized at a higher rate than men. Recent studies also found that the return on investment in college is accordingly higher for women than men.

An Immigration Educational Challenge

Expanding public discourse on higher education must include the educational needs and dreams of immigrants, many of whom are only able to go to college later in adulthood. While some immigrants enter the United States with a college credential, many do not.

The most recent data from 2022 show that Mexico is the leading country of origin for immigrants, accounting for 23 percent of those born outside of the United States, followed by India with 6 percent and China with 5 percent. Overall, immigrants from Asia accounted for 28 percent of all immigration, followed by Latin America (excluding Mexico) with 27 percent. Europe, Canada, and other North American countries accounted for 12 percent of the remaining total. While immigrants from India and China tend to be as educated or better educated compared to those born in the United States, immigrants from most other countries tend to be less educated.

The challenge for any receiving country, including the United States, is twofold: First, to harness the knowledge and skills of educated immigrants in jobs aligned with their skills and talents; and second, to provide educational opportunities for immigrants with less education to facilitate their subsequent economic integration. Both of these paths benefit the local economy, help employers meet labor needs, and create sustainable employment and economic paths for individuals. Addressing both also reduces “brain waste”—the underutilization of skilled labor—and supports the positive health outcomes associated with higher education mentioned earlier.

The effects of immigration on specific cities, states, and regions have been well documented. For instance, in metro Boston, the total estimated economic contributions of immigrants are estimated to be $103 billion. For cities and regions experiencing high net-outmigration of US-born citizens, immigration can play a vital economy-building role.

Meeting the Needs of Immigrant Women and Girls

Designing effective academic experiences for immigrants must include curricula where immigrants can see the achievements of others like them.

With rising immigration, there is also a need to ensure that girls and women new to the United States know about their options for postsecondary education. Educating immigrant youth and their families about higher education opportunities can help build individual, family, and community wealth while also raising their level of participation in civic life.

In many immigrant cultures, family is a strong bond that can work to both push and pull girls and women toward opportunity. Research shows that immigrant parents have higher expectations of college attendance of their children compared to US-born parents.

Not surprisingly, children of immigrants generally exceed their parents’ educational attainment. The challenge for educators is to understand the strong influence of the drive and pull toward higher education and the many responsibilities that these learners often must concurrently navigate as they strive to earn a degree.

Designing effective academic experiences for immigrants must include curricula where immigrants can see the achievements of others like them and student success experiences that are culturally sensitive. Professionals within and outside the classroom must have a high level of cultural dexterity. They also need the skills to create programs that help students develop confidence, agency, and high self-esteem to replace self-doubt. Because most immigrant learners and their children are first-generation college attendees, the language of higher education—from the offices of bursar and registrar, to words like “syllabi”—can be unfamiliar and daunting. Periodic, recurring internal audits for accessibility are important.

Beyond their economic contributions, integrating newcomers into US culture is critical to fostering an environment where everyone is valued. Healthy democracies are nurtured by citizens who have access to self- and family advancement, a voice in their governance, and overall economic security.

As colleges and universities educate youth about the postsecondary options they have, educating adults whose complex lives did not allow them to attain a credential after high school must also be a priority.

Personal Reflections

As someone born outside the United States—raised in a traditional, religious Haitian family—I grew up according to the gender norms of the old country. Initially, I was confined to my low-income immigrant family’s perception of what was possible, even as my parents drilled the value of higher education into me and my siblings. My upbringing affirms my belief that we must both honor traditions and cultures and help immigrants unlock their agency so that they can fulfill their full human potential and contribute to the collective promise of what is possible as a society.

Helping immigrant girls and women find and use their agency unlocks a special potential and has rich intergenerational impacts. Currently, other countries lead the world in their support of women and in achieving or nearing the achievement of equity for women across multiple dimensions of society and a range of outcomes. The United States lags far behind. It is clear that while we have made much progress, there still is plenty of work to be done.