Surprising Number of Older Students Attend LBCC

by Dineen Charest

It is of no surprise that on Jan. 5 there were 28,343 students enrolled in LBCC. What is surprising however, is the amount of registered students that are middle age and above.

Currently, there are 11,898 students over the age of 40 attending LBCC, according to Jean Nicoletti,  manager of the office of Institutional Research at LBCC.

Why are so many middle-age people going back to school and what has prompted them to do so? How difficult is it to attend classes when many of their fellow students could be considered their children or grandchildren?

At 43, Dan Alire is obtaining a two year degree in Business Management Supervision. He was a manager with Hewlett Packard for 12 years but never had a college degree.

When Hewlett Packard started shipping operations overseas, Dan's position was eliminated. Not able to find a job without a Management degree, Dan was offered to take advantage of a program called the Federal Trade Act Assistance Program. With this program, the Federal Government would pay Dan two years of unemployment as well as pay for his classes.

In order to qualify, Dan was required to take a personality test which paired him with occupations that not only fit his profile but had the greatest employment availability. Hopefully, Dan will  obtain his degree in two years because there is a catch...after the two years are finished, he cannot re-apply for unemployment and his school benefits would end.

Alire remembers attending his very first day; he said "I felt like a loser because here I am over 40 with twenty years in the workforce. I have always been able to work and support my family but now looking around the classroom I saw so many kids ...and I was starting over, I felt old. I felt like a failure."

Alire talked about the two weeks before school started and how he experienced nightmares and panic attacks. It actually took him at least mid-way through the first term to become comfortable with his surroundings. He revealed his largest worry ... will he find a well paying management job with a reputable company after graduation? And will he find one in this area, because as he said, "I am not able to relocate my family, my house is here, my family, my whole life is here!"

Another student Debbie Ohling, 46, is a single mother of a six year old son. She was working as a heavy equipment operator when she became injured. Unable to continue to work, her choices were few, either go on permanent disability or go back to school.

Ohling enrolled in LBCC three years ago to obtain a degree in Child and Family Studies. Her desire… to become an advocate for special needs children.

Ohling shared her impression of walking into a classroom for the first time in 20 years. "I looked around noticed the young faces, I was afraid I would not survive this class never mind lasting until graduation! But, I survived- mostly due to necessity and the Disability office at LBCC, they were incredible, they helped me through the most difficult times!"

After graduation this spring, Ohling is not sure if she will continue to a four year college... or move to Alaska. She discovered the pay is higher in Alaska and she believes there is less competition finding a job. Since she has no family here and she does not want to find herself swamped with student loans at the age of 46, Alaska may be her best choice for supporting her son.

Alire and Ohling are like many of the middle age students who are starting over. Our crumbling economy is forcing many people back to college because they now find themselves without the necessary skills or degrees to succeed in today’s workforce, especially when employers are more likely to hire from a much younger group of applicants who have degrees.

For the student over 40, gone are the days of wondering what outfit is fashionable for school? The question does my back-end look fat in these jeans? Or what parties are happening this weekend?

No, for those students the questions are… will I be able to support my family when I graduate? Will I be hired over youth because of my life experiences, and at this stage in life will I be able to succeed?  Unlike most students the middle age do not have the luxury of time...it is a question of survival with failure absolutely not being an option!

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL HELPFUL RESOURCES:

Call Linn Bentons registration office at 541-917-4811 or visit Future Students: http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/future

FASFA (Applying for Federal Student Aid): http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Applying for Scholarships: http://www.fastweb.com/

Finding out about Disability Services: http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/disability-services

Transportation Services to LBCC ...(Linn Shuttle) 541-367-4775 or: http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/transportation