Affordability and support of their goals rank highly among online adult learners when choosing and completing their educational programs. Panelists shared their experiences on these topics and more in Voice of the Online Learner 2024: Responding to Students’ Evolving Preferences. This session was featured during the recent 2024 Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) conference in Minneapolis, Minn.
Panelists for the concurrent session were Brandon Johnson, Associate Vice President for Academic Operations and Resources at St. Cloud State University, and Dr. Frank Rojas, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Bay Path University. They were joined by David Capranos, Director of Market Strategy and Research at Risepoint. Dr. Adam Fein, Vice President for Digital Strategy and Chief Digital Officer at the University of North Texas, served as moderator.
The discussion centered on preliminary findings from the 2024 Voice of the Online Learner, the 13th edition of an annual survey conducted by Risepoint, that examines the experience and perspectives of online students. More than 3,500 post-secondary online learners responded to the survey.
Affordability is a leading driver of program choice
Affordability was named by nearly 9 out of 10 survey respondents as a top factor in their decision on where to attend. Commenting on St. Cloud University’s approach, Brandon Johnson said, “As a comprehensive state university that serves a large audience of Pell-eligible first-generation college students, affordability is of paramount concern for this student base. We are really sensitive to that as we look to our tuition rates and how we might help those students step up the rung of social mobility.”
Panelists shared nuanced views that brand recognition, the assumed value of the degree versus cost (ROI), and the ability to pay might also factor into student choice as well.
A sense of community is important
With approximately two thirds of online students surveyed picking a school in state, or otherwise geographically close to them, panelists discussed their experience with an emerging trend: Online students crave community, and institutions should strive to meet students where they are with a “sense of family” that goes beyond brand recognition.
Dr. Rojas suggested that the online students at Bay Path benefit from knowing that, “There is a campus, it’s tangible, it’s not just this mega institution that lives in the ethos. We had students in the adult online program who were on our soccer team last year. That was part of the experience they wanted.”
For the full scope of survey responses, see the complete 2024 Voice of the Online Learner report published on Risepoint.com.
UPCEA, formerly the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, is a nonprofit membership organization in the field of higher education, focused on advancing professional, continuing, and online education. Founded in 1915, and headquartered in Washington, D.C., UPCEA’s collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision-makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes.