It's never too late for learning

Recently, Paul Usher re-enrolled in college to finish what he started two decades ago. Usher dropped out of college in 1988. The 40-year-old father of three now attends Southeast Missouri State University double majoring in political science and history. He plans to obtain his Ph.D and become a college professor.

In 2007, there were 2,977 non-traditional students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University. That is 667 more than in 1998. The number has fluctuated over the past nine years, topping out at 3,009 in 2006. Currently, the National Center of Education Statistics shows 39 percent of all college students are 25 years or older.

Usher is just one of the many older students making a comeback in higher education. Director of admissions at Southeast Missouri State University, Debbie Below, says the majority of adults returning to college are seeking improved employment opportunities such as increased pay, better hours, advancement opportunities or a new career path.

"The university does serve a significant adult student population on the Cape Girardeau campus and at all of our regional campus locations," she says. According the university Web site, the average age of graduate students enrolled in 2007 was 35.

Many are enrolling as a direct result of the slump in the economy, say university officials. People have been laid off so they go back to school to pursue a different career.

Usher started a construction company in 1998, but due to the recent slump in the housing market, was forced out of business. He had always thought about going back to school.

"I feel like it's probably the best thing that has happened to me, really. It's not the easiest, but probably the best," he says. The Ironton, Mo., man makes the nearly two-hour commute to Cape Girardeau two days a week for classes.

ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) Digest classifies a nontraditional student as someone older than 25 and who maintains responsibilities outside of school, such as a family or full time job. The center predicts that by 2010, seven million college students will fall into the non-traditional category as compared to the three million 18 year olds who will enroll directly out of high school.

Below believes the increasing number of adult students is significant for the local business community. "This is so important to area employers. It provides our businesses with a competitive applicant pool and in the end, better ideas and increased productivity," she says. "Some adult students are entrepreneurial-minded and this is very good for small business development. With increased education comes increased skills."

While Usher sometimes feels like "a duck out of water" mingling with students 20 years younger, for the most part his return to college gone well.

"It's going great. I'm glad I'm going back. It's always been a regret of mine to have never finished."

Usher has a different perception this time around, and a greater appreciation for education. "A lot of things that they are teaching, I've experienced in different aspects," he says. "I have a greater appreciation for what I'm learning." He says when he's in the classroom the other students are helpful and talk to him. It's when he is walking across campus or having lunch in the University Center that he feels out of place. "I don't want to make them uncomfortable," he says of the younger students. It can be frustrating at time, juggling a full class schedule with family life and work. Sometimes Usher feels he isn't able to get as much out of college life as he could have when he was younger and had more time. His wife and children have been very supportive of his decision to go back to school. Usher says it wouldn't be possible for him to finish his degrees without his family behind him.

But he has committed himself to excellence. "My success is not optional," he says. "This is important to all of us and our future."