by Dr. Lee Viar January 6, 2026 While technical knowledge matters, employers consistently emphasize something else: soft skills. Critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are often what separate capable employees from exceptional ones. Adult learners are uniquely positioned here. Many already bring workplace experience, problem-solving ability, and interpersonal skills into the classroom. Education helps refine and articulate those strengths.

by Dr. Lee Viar January 5, 2026 For adult learners, flexibility isn’t a preference, it’s a necessity. Between work schedules, family responsibilities, and financial pressures, traditional learning models don’t always fit real life. Thankfully, technology has reshaped what learning can look like. Mobile learning allows students to review lectures during lunch breaks or complete readings on the go. Micro-learning, short, focused lessons, makes it easier to absorb material witho

by Dr. Lee Viar December 18, 2026 Artificial intelligence has quietly become part of everyday life, writing emails, navigating directions, recommending what to watch next. For adult learners returning to school, AI can also become a powerful academic ally. The key is knowing how to use it thoughtfully. AI works best when you treat it as a support, not a substitute. It can help you clarify ideas, organize your thoughts, or break down complex readings into manageable summaries.

by: Dr. Lee Viar December 18, 2025 Returning to college as an adult is rarely a simple decision. It’s often shaped by career transitions, family responsibilities, financial pressures, and a clear sense that something needs to change. When it comes time to figure out how to pay for school, many adult learners discover an uncomfortable truth: scholarships can feel frustratingly out of reach. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Scholarships for nontraditional students exist, bu

National Nontrad Student Week has traditionally fallen on the first full week in November. Plans for Nontraditional Student Week are well underway for many colleges and universities across the country, recognizing and celebrating exclusively the nontraditional student population. The number of nontraditional students attending college on campus and online is the fasting growing demographic, according to the Department of Education, NCES. There is a growing demand for programs

If there is one word to describe these times we are experiencing in every aspect of our lives, but specifically in higher education, it...

Getting a degree or certificate in retirement or later in life can have its advantages. Getty Images by: Alina Tugend September 2, 2020...

Published Dec. 17, 2019 Jeremy Bauer-Wolf Senior Reporter Higher Ed Dive Rawpixel/Pixabay There’s some evidence that people are more...

BY SHELLEY SEALE ON NOVEMBER 1, 2019 A student graduates high school, goes on to college, completes his or her degree in four years, and...

Institutions are trying to figure out how to introduce a growing population of older students to their campuses. Jeremy Bauer-Wolf...

The value of a college education has been vigorously called into question, at least in recent years. But the fact remains that the value...

As a child, we are all taught about the dangers of assuming things or outcomes. Yet, as adults, at least in many cases in academia, that...

As a child, we are all taught about the dangers of assuming things or outcomes. Yet, as adults, at least in many cases in academia, that...

Dr. Viar is the President of the Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education and provides his opinion on what is needed...

Dr. Viar is the President of the Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education and provides his opinion on what is needed...

Most of the undergraduates headed for or returning to college this year will be inundated with welcome week and orientation events designed

Most of the undergraduates headed for or returning to college this year will be inundated with welcome week and orientation events designed

The value of a college education has been vigorously called into question, at least in recent years. But the fact remains that the value of

More than 19 million undergraduate students are enrolled in colleges and universities for fall 2018, according to a report this week from th

More than 19 million undergraduate students are enrolled in colleges and universities for fall 2018, according to a report this week from th