Grandparents Going to College: Late-Life Students. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

In seeking to explore theorists' claims that learning, education, and development in old age are linked, this qualitative study investigated how seeking a graduate or undergraduate degree functions in late-life development. Sixteen participants, ages 70 to 84, enrolled in higher education, were interviewed with a view to exploring their major developmental issues and how motivation, choice of degree, college environment, and social environment contributed to late-life development. Interviews were semi-structured, using an open-response interview guide. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method of analysis described by Glasser and Strauss (1967) and Costas (1992). Findings indicated four developmental functions that seeking the degree met for the participants: (1) repairing or enhancing self-esteem; (2) keeping old age at a distance by staying mentally active and associating with younger generations; (3) developing a mature sense of caring both for self and for others; and (4) handling loss and the grieving process due to either retirement from work or death of a spouse. (Contains 14 references.) (JB)