Giving Compass' Take:

• Jean Dimeo shares four strategies for helping adult students graduate from college. 

• How can these approaches work together to make a greater impact? How can schools identify current and potential students that would benefit from these supports?

• Learn about post-secondary education interventions to help low-income student success. 

Books and food:
As nontraditional students continue to make up a growing part of the overall college student body, some institutions are rolling the cost of books into tuition to make enrollment easier for busy working adults. “One-stop-shopping” programs allow students to make a single payment, and often have books delivered to the learner's doorstep.

Cut costs: 
Columbia College joined a growing list of institutions to announce price-slashing initiatives for adult learners. The private liberal arts college said it will reduce tuition and book fees to a total of $375 per credit hour beginning this fall for commuter and online undergraduate students.

Tailored programs:
Fundamentally, programs must be developed with not only the profile of the adult learner in mind, but also the needs of employers — the skills and characteristics they are looking for in talent.

Focus on retention:
Adult or non-traditional learners often bring with them a unique set of challenges. Family and work responsibilities, learning challenges, economic limitations and disconnections with campus life are just a few of the challenges faced by many adult learners. Without supports focused on strengthening retention, this demographic will continue to struggle.

Read the full article about supporting adult college students by Jean Dimeo at Education Dive.