The Data Is In – 2009 Stamats Adult StudentsTALK™
It is always exciting to see much anticipated project results. I am very pleased to see the data from our 2009 Stamats Adult StudentsTALK ™ research. Several months ago Stamats committed to repeating the adult student research that was done in 2008. And it is in no small part due to what had happened in the economy and the questions that were asked about how that might impact adults returning to higher education. Traditionally we see a surge in the numbers of adults who return to higher education during challenging economic times. We also know that the country’s largest for-profit institution spent just over 228 million dollars in a single quarter in an effort to capitalize on the uncertainty brought about by the recession. But nobody really knew how prospective students were feeling.
With the 2009 data Stamats has not only captured how prospective adult students are feeling about possibly returning to higher education, but they also have captured how that has shifted since a much more stable time in early 2008. In some areas the shifts have been significant.
- The majors or programs of interest for adults considering a return to higher education in 2009 look quite different than they did in 2008
- The anxiety over cost, while always a top concern, has now risen to the level where people are no longer confident that the cost of school would be justified by long-term employment benefits
- Top motivations for returning have reordered themselves with a decrease in last year’s #1 motivator
- A sizeable portion of prospective graduate students indicated that they would consider returning to community college if they were planning to expand their education
- And yes, we have asked about social media use
With higher education coming into a time that seems quite different than anything we have seen before, institutions will more regularly turn to adult student programs to protect their overall financial health. Arming yourself with facts and data about your student population is crucial as you continue to plan what is assuredly at least a somewhat uncertain time.
I invite you to join me and well over 100 of your adult student colleagues from around the country at the 2010 Stamats Integrated Marketing Adult Student Marketing Conference in San Antonio, Texas February 23–25. At this event you will be the first to explore the 2009 Adult StudentsTALK™ data and compare the numbers with what we learned in 2008. The conversation is sure to be rich and the program is sure to leave you with a long list of ideas to consider at your campus. Hope to see you there! For more conference details and registration visit www.stamats.com/simadultstudents.
Photo by Lakeland Chamber
