Affiliation:
1. University of the West Indies, Jamaica
2. HEART Trust, Jamaica
Abstract
Colleges have traditionally recruited from among high school graduates to meet their enrolment targets, ignoring the possibility of exploiting the interest of older working adults who desire to enter tertiary institutions. This chapter details the experiences of 10 undergraduate students 40 and over who are currently enrolled in undergraduate programs. It explores the reasons for their late entry into tertiary education, their motivations for choosing to continue their education, the challenges they experienced, and how they overcame these challenges. This sample was chosen using purposive sampling, and data was collected using the interview method. The findings indicate that participants were unable to continue their education earlier due to financial constraints but enrolled in tertiary studies for several reasons including financial gains to be achieved and self-actualization. They experienced significant challenges while pursuing their degrees, chief among which was the difficulty of balancing school, work, and family obligations.
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