The current financial crisis faced by the United States has created a situation in which many workers are going back to school. Workers who were secure in their careers are facing layoffs or the threat of layoffs, which is causing them to want to obtain additional skills to find employment. Old ideas about higher education only being for young people planning to begin their careers has changed. Older adults with professional experience are attending colleges and universities, which is not only changing how workers view higher education, but also how employers treat higher education. The trend toward more adults pursuing higher education will cause workers, employers, and institutions of higher learning to change previous negative stereotypes about adults that pursue higher education.

For workers, the trend in adults pursuing higher education has meant that returning to school has become less stigmatized. It used to be that adults returning to school were viewed as people with extra time or extra money to pursue learning as a hobby. In the current economic climate, however, adults pursuing higher education are perceived as individuals who are attempting to protect themselves against layoffs or the threat of layoffs. These adults are also believed to understand that economic changes are causing some industries to become less financially viable while other industries are growing and producing higher paying jobs.

Companies have been impacted by the trend toward adults pursuing higher education. More companies are having to make concessions for employees to pursue higher education in the form of providing some flexibility in scheduling to accommodate class schedules. In the coming years, it is likely that more companies will find that employees are less able and willing to work overtime or extended hours because of the need to use more personal time to attend college classes. Companies may also find that more employees are less loyal because as they achieve higher levels of education, they will seek out employers who will be willing to compensate them for the additional knowledge that have gained.

Colleges and universities are already discovering that adult students are not the same as the traditional college student with regards to their expectations about the education process. Adult students expect to be respected for the knowledge and experience that they bring with them to the classroom. Furthermore, adult students often want to engage in courses and subjects that the believe will be beneficial to their specific career and life goals. In the coming years, it is likely that colleges and universities will offer greater flexibility to adult students in terms of the types of courses needed for specific disciplines, as well as the ways in which adult students can demonstrate competency, such as providing credit for professional experience and on-the-job knowledge.

The trend toward more adults pursuing higher education will cause workers, employers, and institutions of higher learning to change previous negative stereotypes about adults that pursue higher education. While some changes impacting adults, employers, and colleges are already occurring, even more changes will take place. The idea of the adult student will become more common and companies and colleges will have to adjust their operations to accommodate them.