In the state of Kentucky, almost 1.5 million priority adults currently have no post-secondary credential. Nearly 66% of these ‘priority adults’ from the ages of 25 to 64 years old have never enrolled in college. However, it wasn’t always like this. Since 2014, the number of Kentucky adults in college has declined by a whopping 40%. With public university undergraduates alone, the enrollment numbers went from just under 97,000 to slightly above 83.000.
But what’s stopping these graduates from enrolling? The primary reason is prior commitments. The largest commitment is the learner’s family. Childcare availability is declining as the number of centers plummets while the cost of childcare skyrockets. Similarly, paychecks are needed to support a family, and work commitments can impede the attendance of classes. Lastly, tuition, book expenses, and bills can leave as much as $9,000 of expenses that need to be covered by the learner on average.
Fortunately, Kentucky is stepping in to help these adult learners attain their degrees. They help to connect adult learners with other adult students, help to professionally develop them and to provide a childcare solutions network. Through these benefits, the Kentucky workforce should be strengthened and the number of people with a degree higher.
