{"id":43640,"date":"2019-09-19T14:16:42","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T19:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/?post_type=advice&#038;p=43640"},"modified":"2023-03-17T07:45:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T12:45:39","slug":"what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program","status":"publish","type":"advice","link":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The path to a degree is not always linear. Even if it spans multiple years and different directions, that\u2019s ok. The ultimate destination is all that matters, and we are here to help you get there. Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor, but the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-are-the-costs-of-not-finishing-college\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>costs of not finishing<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> often outweigh the obstacles. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you make the most of what you already have and get you to the finish line quicker and cheaper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is it and how it works:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Adult degree completion programs are designed for students who started school but never finished. Colleges are constantly evolving to meet the changing demands of students, so many of whom are adults working to pick up where they left off. It\u2019s now common for schools to accept prior learning credits, which awards credit toward your degree for your previous coursework\u2014and even some job experience. There are caveats, however; the amount of time that has elapsed and institution you\u2019re applying to both play a role in how many prior learning credits you can earn. Check with your advisor to see which of your credits transfer. Every bit counts! Since you are not starting from scratch, you can save money on credits you have already earned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/accreditation-why-is-it-so-important\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45860 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_-.png\" alt=\"What is Accreditation and Why is it So Important?\" width=\"2480\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_-.png 2480w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--300x63.png 300w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--1024x215.png 1024w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--768x161.png 768w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--1536x322.png 1536w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--2048x429.png 2048w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--610x128.png 610w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--720x151.png 720w, https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/What-is-Accreditation-and-Why-is-it-So-Important_--360x75.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2480px) 100vw, 2480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>What to expect:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Since degree completion programs are intended for adults who likely have other commitments, their course formats differ from those of traditional undergraduate courses. Adult degree completion programs are often taken online or in a hybrid format (both online and on campus). These flexible formats allow students to balance work and personal obligations as they pursue their degree. If you\u2019ve never taken an <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/seven-things-online-course\/\">online class<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, check out our advice page for expert tips and advice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How you can benefit: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A phenomenon known as the<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/confidence-gap\/\"> confidence gap<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> affects students of all ages and backgrounds. The confidence gap can affect adult students who feel their chances of graduating are lower because of time spent away from the classroom, outside work obligations, and family responsibilities. That\u2019s why sitting in a traditional undergraduate classroom could make it <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">harder<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to finish your bachelor\u2019s degree; a classroom full of young adults can exacerbate these feelings of doubt and cause you to feel out of place. Adult degree programs, on the other hand, are so beneficial, as you study alongside fellow adults with similar life experience. These programs are designed with your unique circumstances in mind, so you can beat the confidence gap, realize that you\u2019re not alone, and graduate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many people are fooled into thinking they can\u2019t earn a degree because they didn\u2019t finish in 4 years. Sometimes life gets in the way, but that doesn\u2019t mean a degree and an exciting career are out of reach! Adult degree completion programs can be the very thing needed to help you achieve your goals. We\u2019re here to help. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/\"><b>Abound: Finish College<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> narrows down your options and gets you in touch with schools that we can confirm are<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/about\/how-schools-are-selected\/\"><b> Accessible, Affordable, Accelerated, and Advanced.<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Take a look at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/colleges\/\"><b>schools<\/b> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">we trust and find the program that works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>More Helpful Guides:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/tips-for-going-back-to-college-after-dropping-out\/\">Tips for Going Back to College After Dropping Out<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/im-an-adult-wanting-to-finish-college-where-do-i-start\/\">I&#8217;m an Adult Wanting to Finish College: Where Do I Start?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/will-my-previously-earned-credits-coursework-transfer\/\">Will My Previously Earned Credits and Coursework Transfer<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-a-non-traditional-student\/\">What is a Non-Traditional Student?<\/a><\/p>\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/privacy-terms\/\">Disclaimer<\/a>: This article contains affiliate links to products and services. We may receive commissions for purchases made through these links.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor, but the costs of not finishing often outweigh the obstacles. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you make me the most of what you already have and get you to the finish line quicker and cheaper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":43641,"template":"","class_list":["post-43640","advice","type-advice","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","abound_advice_topics-finding-the-right-program","abound_advice_topics-thinking-about-finishing-college"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is an Adult Degree Completion Program? - Abound: Finish College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Abound: Finish College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AboundDegrees\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-17T12:45:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4084\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2764\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AboundDegrees\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/\",\"name\":\"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program? - Abound: Finish College\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-09-19T19:16:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-17T12:45:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg\",\"width\":4084,\"height\":2764,\"caption\":\"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/advice\\\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/\",\"name\":\"Abound: Finish College\",\"description\":\"Take control of your future. Finish college.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Abound\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/abound-email-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/abound-email-logo.png\",\"width\":299,\"height\":56,\"caption\":\"Abound\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/finishcollege\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/AboundDegrees\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/AboundDegrees\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/abounddegrees\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/abound\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program? - Abound: Finish College","description":"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?","og_description":"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.","og_url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/","og_site_name":"Abound: Finish College","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AboundDegrees","article_modified_time":"2023-03-17T12:45:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":4084,"height":2764,"url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@AboundDegrees","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/","url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/","name":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program? - Abound: Finish College","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg","datePublished":"2019-09-19T19:16:42+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-17T12:45:39+00:00","description":"Finishing college can feel like a daunting endeavor. Thankfully, adult degree completion programs can help you get to the finish line quicker and cheaper.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/you-x-ventures-tHO1_OuKbg0-unsplash.jpg","width":4084,"height":2764,"caption":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/advice\/what-is-an-adult-degree-completion-program\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is an Adult Degree Completion Program?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#website","url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/","name":"Abound: Finish College","description":"Take control of your future. Finish college.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#organization","name":"Abound","url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/abound-email-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/abound-email-logo.png","width":299,"height":56,"caption":"Abound"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AboundDegrees","https:\/\/x.com\/AboundDegrees","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/abounddegrees","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/abound"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advice\/43640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advice"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/advice"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abound.college\/finishcollege\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}