Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners

Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners is sponsored by College Futures Foundation. Launched in 2025, this initiative aims to change the trajectory for California's six million adults under 65 who have some college but no credential.

Our Initiatives - College Futures Foundation Our Focus Areas Our Initiatives Our Golden Ticket State of CA Learners T. E. A.

with College Futures Rebuilding the California Dream At College Futures Foundation, our initiatives are how we activate our strategic focus areas—by defining what we aim to change, who we support, and how we invest grant funding, use our voice and staff capacity.

We partner with learners, experts, and leaders across education technology, postsecondary innovation (within and outside of public education), policy, advocacy, and workforce systems to drive meaningful change. Each initiative represents a targeted investment in ideas, partners, and strategies that support systems change and expand opportunity for learners who are underserved.

While our initiatives differ in scope and approach, all are grounded in our commitment to ensuring that postsecondary education leads to greater economic mobility and advances equity for today’s diverse learners. Across all our efforts, we support policy and advocacy to help drive lasting, systemic change and sustainable solutions at scale.

Higher education has long been seen as a path to a better life—but for too many low- and moderate-income learners, that promise remains out of reach. The Golden Opportunities Initiative seeks to change that by redefining how we understand, measure, and communicate the value of postsecondary education in California.

The first phase of this initiative examined federal data to assess how long it takes underserved students to recoup the costs of college. Building on these insights, the next phase will: We will continue to support research that illuminates where and for whom disparities in post-college economic mobility outcomes persist.

Through strategic communications, we will shift narratives around value to center the lived experiences and aspirations of underserved learners. We will activate networks to influence policy, institutional practice, and public discourse. By advancing a more inclusive and evidence-based understanding of value, this initiative aims to make higher education a more reliable and equitable vehicle for economic mobility for all Californians.

Access Golden Opportunities Research Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners California is home to six million adults under 65 who have some college but no credential. These learners are often working adults juggling multiple priorities – jobs, caregiving responsibilities, and family obligations – while navigating complex learning environments that are not designed with their needs in mind.

As a result, many are often unable to realize the full return on their educational investment. The Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners Initiative aims to change that. We seek to invest in solutions that create more flexible, inclusive, and responsive postsecondary experiences for California’s working adults.

Over the next three years, we will pursue a dual grantmaking strategy that amplifies learner-centered solutions both within and beyond our state’s public postsecondary systems: Supporting Change Within California’s Public Institutions We will invest in efforts to identify and dismantle structural barriers so institutions can scale what is working for adult learners.

Learning from Beyond Traditional Systems We will explore and support the adoption of promising models from outside the public system that demonstrate success in serving adult learners. New Interactive Tool : Adult Learner Exhibit Nearly half of all California Community College students are 25 or older, yet fewer than one in four complete their credential or transfer within four years.

These learners are the heart of California’s communities and workforce. Yet the educational systems they encounter are not built for their realities. How do we rethink systems to better serve this large and vital learner group?

It begins with listening to today’s adult learners to truly understand what they need, what they’re facing and what they want from a postsecondary education. We invite you into a new interactive space where you can explore the experience of California’s adult learners. Hear their stories and reflections.

Share your ideas as we reimagine and rebuild a system that better serves these learners—and California’s future. College Futures Foundation’s grantmaking is by invitation only and reflects strategic alignment with our current initiatives. We work closely with organizations and institutions that are advancing ideas and solutions in service of economic mobility and educational equity.

While we do not accept unsolicited proposals, we welcome opportunities to learn from those doing work that resonates with our mission and values.