THOMASVILLE, N.C. — An effort to enroll more students who are 25 and older at community colleges across the state is paying off.

What You Need To Know

  • The number of adult learners at community colleges across the state grew by 10% between 2020 and 2022

  • Community college leaders recognize that adult learners have responsibilities outside of classes, including parenting, caregiving and working full- or part-time jobs 

  • In fall 2022, a reported 50% of North Carolina’s community college students fell into the 25 and older category

According to a report from the North Carolina Community College System, the system was awarded $2 million by the General Assembly in 2021 to grow adult learner pilot programs. The report shows that the number of adult learners at community colleges across the state grew by 10% between 2020 and 2022. In fall 2022, 50% of North Carolina’s community college students fell into the 25 and older category. 

Cameron Shirley, the Davidson-Davie Community College dean of institutional effectiveness and innovation, explained that many of the college’s adult students have responsibilities outside of school, including parenting, caregiving and working part- or full-time jobs. She said student support services are available to help students meet needs, ranging from securing child care to finding tutors. 

Shirley said she believes adult learners are the future of higher education.

“We see with declining high school enrollment and a declining birthrate in the last 10 to 20 years, high school populations and high school graduates are shrinking. So for higher education to continue to remain relevant, we know we have to serve adult learners, and adult learners in our community bring so much to our college campuses and into our online programs,” Shirley said.

Related: Wilkes County community college president to lead N.C. system

Davidson-Davie Community College student Sarah Emerson is 34 years old and said she came to campus for the first time after she graduated high school. She will graduate in May 2023 with an associate degree in arts and has been accepted to Winston-Salem State’s nursing program — a goal she’s hoped to achieve for years. 

Emerson said being personally ready to attend college, being involved on campus, being around other students her age and having a supportive environment have contributed to her success. 

“I thought I’d be so terrible at any schooling, any test taking because I was never a good test taker. I’ve always been helped here through every process. and I overcame that fear of not being good at school just by giving it a shot,” Emerson said. 

More information about adult learner pilot programs at community colleges in North Carolina is available here.