Enrollment Marketing for Higher Education

Meet the adult learner

As the number of traditional college students continues to decline, adult learners are a tempting (and largely untapped) market. But who are they, and how can your institution appeal to them?

“Adult learner” refers to anyone over the age of a traditional college student, usually 25 years old and up. Many of them have some college experience, but no credentials. These prospects are most likely to pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree, with the goal of making more money and/or changing careers.

The adult learner market is huge. Over 36 million Americans match the description above. But before you can go after adult learners, you need to understand their needs and make sure your institution is ready to address them.

The challenges facing adult learners

No two adult students are alike. But they share pain points that can make completing their degree a challenge. Some of the most common reasons adult learners stop out are:

• Financial concerns
• Difficulty balancing school and family
• Lack of flexibility
• Confusing admissions/readmissions process

Financial concerns

The cost of college impacts students of all ages. But adult learners are more likely to be supporting a family, paying a mortgage, and juggling bills. Figuring out how to afford their education is top of mind. Almost 40% of surveyed adult students said cost was their biggest barrier in pursuing a degree.

Balancing school and family

Eighteen percent of undergrad students are parents. But of that 18%, 88% are adult learners. And while these students are motivated and tend to earn as good or even better grades than their non-parent classmates, the struggle to balance school and family life often catches up to them. Over half end up leaving college without earning a credential.

Flexibility

Traditional daytime classes may be fine for your average 19-year-old, but most adult learners are working as they complete their degree. Around 44% of adult learners work full time, while almost 25% work part time. That means a 9 a.m. class likely isn’t going to cut it for all students.

Confusing admissions process

Adult learners are busy. If your admissions process (or readmissions, for students who started but never completed a degree) is too complex, prospects will likely opt out in favor of an easier option. “Too complex” can stem from too many steps, unnecessary supplemental materials, or even difficulty finding relevant admissions information on your website.

Addressing adult learner pain points

If your institution wants to attract adult learners, you need to put serious thought into addressing these pain points. This means more than lip service; it involves real, institution-wide change that creates a learning environment where adult students can thrive. This won’t just bring adult learners in but can help retain them through the completion of their degree.

Here’s what that can look like:

• Review your pricing structure and make sure you’re competitive in the market. Consider offering scholarships specifically for adult learners, and make sure it’s easy to find financial aid information on your website.
• Offering on-campus childcare services can be a huge differentiator for student parents. If that’s not in the cards, consider offering more flexibility in class times, so students can work around their external childcare schedule.
• Speaking of flexibility: give adult learners options that fit their busy schedules. That may mean offering day and night classes, along with hybrid, online, and asynchronous courses.
• Streamline your admissions and readmissions process. This can mean reducing the complexity of the application and/or financial aid process, offering rolling admission or multiple start dates, and making sure relevant information is easy to find and understand on your website. Also helpful? Admissions counselors and support staff who are trained to understand the needs to adult learners and help them through the process.

Get help from enrollment marketing experts

That may seem like a long to-do list, but help is on the way. An enrollment marketing firm with experience supporting adult learners can help you implement these changes while suggesting the right messaging and media to reach adult prospects.

You’ll want to look for a marketing partner who can provide two areas of service: consulting and creative, both of which should place an emphasis on collecting and relying on data.

Consulting

Sometimes an outside perspective is exactly what you need to kickstart change. A higher education marketing consultant can bring in research and data that shows you how to appeal to adult learners—and how your current offerings and processes can be updated to meet these goals. This may mean implementing some of the changes listed above, or taking a hard look at your academic offerings to makes sure they meet market needs. You want to make sure you’re offering programs adult learners really want!

Consultants with the right experience can also train your recruiters and other staff members to better support adult learners. Your admissions team can’t treat adult learners like any other prospect—they need to speak directly to their unique challenges and goals. Knowing how to approach these subjects, break down barriers, and offer guidance is key to attracting adult learners. On-site or online trainings can help prepare staff members to recognize and address the concerns of adult prospects.

Digital and creative services

Once you understand what adult learners want and find a way to deliver those services, you need to market them. This is a mix of knowing how and where to speak to adult learners.

Remember that the main goal of most adult learners is to complete a degree so they can make more money. So, while marketing to a traditional student may include mentions of life on campus, student services, and a sense of belonging, your marketing to adult students should be a little more direct.

Messaging should answer questions like, “How quickly can I finish my degree?”, “What program is going to help grow my career?”, and “Can I afford this?” This will likely mean driving more resources towards programmatic marketing, rather than general brand marketing.

Once you have messaging in place, you need to know where to place your ads. The age range for adult learners is broad and where they get their media varies. Your media plan should include both digital and traditional media to maximize impact. Social and Google ads are effective, but don’t underestimate the impact of a billboard or bus shelter advertisement. This is a good way to capture adult learners’ attention while they commute to work.

Collecting and analyzing data

The secret ingredient to making all of this come together? Data. Effective media tracking and measurement can let you know what programs are getting the most attention, what messaging and visuals most often lead to conversions, and what tactics are most effective for finding high-quality prospects. This data helps you make more informed academic and financial decisions and better tap into the adult learner market.

Want to know more about how Paskill can help you connect with and convert adult prospects? Contact us to get started today.