Students over the age of 50 offer community colleges hope for increased enrollment

Students over the age of 50 are returning to school and enrolling in community college, CalMatters reported.

Last year, California’s community colleges experienced an 11% increase in the number of students older than 50 — exceeding the rate for students under 20 and making up the highest percentage increase of any age group.

Campus administrators have attributed the bump to the increase in in-person instruction following the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I come to these English classes because here, I don’t feel alone. I chat with my classmates, and they greet me back,” Hermelinda Figueroa, who is 80 years old and attends a two-hour class three times a week, told CalMatters.