Abstract
Do persons over age 62 enroll in universities to maintain their social interaction and stay in life's mainstream? This question was researched through a university pilot project which let older persons enroll virtually free, eliminating cost from their decision to attend. Survey responses from 65 older students in the program were compared with those of 320 randomly selected students ranging in age from 18 to 30. Older students were found to have a more positive attitude toward school, were more appreciative, and generally had less difficulty than their younger counterparts. Although older students take fewer courses and are more likely to be graduate students, they return to school primarily for self-fulfillment and social interaction.
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Stone, G.C. Higher education for the elderly: Continuing in the mainstream of American life. Res High Educ 10, 317–330 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00975523
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00975523