Older Students Filling California College Campuses
High school graduates are not the only ones waiting for college acceptance letters. Increasingly, the older generation is in the same boat. At California State University, Sacramento, for example, the number of students between the ages of 50 and 64 grew by 76 percent from 1986 to 2006.
Across the state, the number of California college students between the ages of 50 and 64 rose 61 percent between 1986 and 2006. Among people ages 40 to 49, enrollment increased 32 percent. Overall enrollment climbed 33 percent during the same two decades.
There are lots of reasons for this new development. Often, baby boomers return to school for economic necessity. Some are single parents; others want to become skilled with computers and other technology that has invaded the workplace. They also enroll because they choose new careers after years on the job, possibly less physically taxing ones.
Regardless of the reasons, this is an exciting development. After World War II, the wave of college students that were created by the GI Bill had a tremendous effect on the society. It would be wonderful if the new wave of schooling for aging baby boomers led to similar outcomes.
