Sometimes an individual’s children, spouse, parents, boss, or even co-workers do not understand why he or she decides to return to school and the importance of the decision. Sometimes the individuals in the student’s life may not even recognize that he or she is in school. This barrier is particularly difficult when manufactured in the learner’s home life. If family is not supportive of the individual’s decision to be back in school, then they will not help with the daily household duties. This situation creates more stress and barriers for the adult student (Scanlon, 2009). An unsupportive spouse can “demand that [the student] only study after attending to all the household and child-raising responsibilities” (Scanlon, 2009, p. 39). Children may make their parent feel guilty about going to school instead of spending time with them. The children may also want their parent to quit school altogether (Scanlon, 2009). People present in the adult students life may build dispositional barriers by not understanding the student’s decision to attend school and through the lack of support they provide to the …show more content…
Many people are unfamiliar with, or even confused by, the application process for enrolling in school. Sometimes individuals are unsure of what the qualifications are or do not meet the qualifications for a particular institution. Tuition and school fees are the highest they have ever been (Ritt, 2008). According to Ritt, “two-thirds [of adults] say that affording college is harder now and 70% say they expect it to be even more difficult in the future” (2008, p. 14). Many potential students can not afford these costs and are not aware of the financial assistance programs available. Students who are also parents are concerned with finding child care while they are attending classes. They may not be able to afford to pay someone to care for their children, or may not be aware of how to get involved in day care programs (Carlette, Jackson, & Hardin, 2008). The adult learner is challenged by learning to navigate the specific programs and operations put in place by the school