Is 51 too old to finish college?

Before you say a resounding YES, it would cost me about 10K to finish with a BS in Human Services (gerontology concentration - I like helping the elderly). I currently make about 24K per year as a bookkeeper and my salary has been stagnant for years (different jobs, same pay).

I realize I would be competing with 22 year olds in the workplace, and I already find the atmosphere competitive. I just don't know if it would be worth the 10K. I do not believe I am eligible for a grant.

I know there are more lucrative degrees, but I like HS, and I am not good enough in math to get any kind of accounting degree. I didn't even do well in business math, I really struggled.

I don't think it is to old at all! At 44, I want to go back to school and do something different then what I have been doing all my life. And I already make the big money

See if you can get that cost down via grants, etc. Good luck!

If you're making only 24,000 a year you very well may be eligible for some assistance, I wouldn't rule that out. I would weigh the starting salary of what someone with that degree would make and compare it to what you make now. Anyway I think there is more room for advancement with a degree like that, even in 5 years I'm sure you would be able to advance, as opposed to your current field which has no growth.

I say go for it. You're never too old to do something that makes you happy and in this case I think it would really be a good move for your career. Good luck!

My collegiate adventure started in my late 30's, decided I wanted to be a judge. I didn't have any money but it was something I needed to do. My momma is a retired school teacher and her hope was that all her brats complete college, at the time I went 'in' we had 2 out of 5 with degrees. Oldest and youngest are skilled in their trades and don't feel obligated to crack any books. It was HARD... It SUCKED... and at the same time it was interesting.

I did odd jobs, I was the midnight ghost writer for alot of students - didn't mind unless they tried to pay with a check. Cash baby. Towards the end I took out a student loan, regret it ever since as I doubt I'll pay it off. One of those problems I'll look into soon.

Never had problems with the students, lots of us - non-traditional students - and we had way more confidence when it came to opining the instructors. Now that I think of it, kids probably wanted us to shut so we could leave. LOL Oops.

If I had to do it again, probably still go for a degree I wanted and then do it on-line. On-line stuff was in it's infancy when I walked for my sheepskin. So .. yeah, do it. Figure out what you need and plug yourself into the advisor office to see what credits can transfer. I had community college courses(cheaper) and some on-line stuff (way cheaper) in the mix. Allowed me to carry 18 hrs a semester without getting approval, 12 hrs was considered a safe load. BS, I wanted to be done and in a hurry.

Hope that helped. Go do it.

MasterPro makes a good point with online classes. I'm finishing my degree right now online (I'm 27) luckily my college now offers online courses. I'll tell you online classes have come a long way even from a few years ago, I don't know if that's an option for you depending on your school but they are really helpful if you still want to be able to work while you finish your degree.

As long as the degree gives you an opportunity to have a better life than you have now, I say go for it.

If you have a degree and it just sits around the house with no use, and years past, then I'm not sure if you should do it or at least pay a ton of money to do it.

Just being honest. Degrees only matter in certain areas. (Doctors, lawyers, etc..)And sometimes it just means more money at the field they already work in. It's more about who you know anyways. Even HR can let things slide if they are biased.

My buddy works at an airline as some sort of warehouse/engineer guy. (He's like the librarian for the mechanical engineers). He doesn't have a college degree. He just turned 28.. BUT his wife's father is a plane engineer at another airport. He had to take a test, stay there for 6 months, etc.. But he gets benefits like crazy and makes like 18 dollars a hour

Before you say a resounding YES, it would cost me about 10K to finish with a BS in Human Services (gerontology concentration - I like helping the elderly). I currently make about 24K per year as a bookkeeper and my salary has been stagnant for years (different jobs, same pay).

 

I realize I would be competing with 22 year olds in the workplace, and I already find the atmosphere competitive. I just don't know if it would be worth the 10K. I do not believe I am eligible for a grant.

 

I know there are more lucrative degrees, but I like HS, and I am not good enough in math to get any kind of accounting degree. I didn't even do well in business math, I really struggled.

Not at all!

What are you talking about, OF COURSE it isn't too old! Live your dreams and get on with it IMMEDIATELY!!!

If you're making only 24,000 a year you very well may be eligible for some assistance, I wouldn't rule that out.

Actually, you might be eligible for assistance even if you make close to 100k!

I'm 37 and I'm going (not back, cause I never went to begin with).

BY all means do what you please. Getting education is never a bad thing.

The best investment is yourself Go get the degree! 51 is not very old when we consider that we're likely to live another 30 to 40 years after that.

Accounting is not math. I hate math. It makes me growl. Accounting is logic and puzzles. It's communicating a picture using numbers as the language. We do that every day. We say it's 78 degrees outside, we say we're 2 outta 3, we use it a lot in sports statistics, you used 10k to give us a picture of cost versus potential income. Accounting uses a more complex language that is learned in school, but it's the same thing. Not math. Shudder! lol

That being said, go for a degree that you'll love doing. Any degree (over no degree) will be helpful to you in terms of future earnings.

Is 51 too old to finish college?

I don't even think 51 is too old to START college.

You're potentially looking at 40+ years remaining on the planet, and you can spend them having gained the education you want or not. Human Services may not pay much more or even as much as you make right now--there are no guarantees. However, it's one field where maturity, life experience and the latest training raises your value rather than depletes it.

I have a friend that started med school at age 40. He probably finished his specializing around 50, but he is now a practicing physician.

Age is not the issue here.

But please do some homework about your chosen profession. Look at job forecasting, projected salaries, etc. Do the numbers pan out?

For gerontology, you will still likely need to take statistics, by the way. Many professions will require that.

I would seek out some occupational counseling - they can look at your qualities, forecasting, and salary projections to guide you through your choices.

Mom became a certified public accountant at 60. She couldn't even remember how to do long division when she studying for it.

It's important to stretch your mind. Keep going.

You have easily another 30 to 35 years ahead of you so you spend a little time and some money to make the next 30 years of your life more rewarding and better all the way around. Sounds like a great investment in YOU!!!

Look into alternative ways of finishing up, grants and other assistance programs in your area. You might be surprised in what you find.

It is never to late to grow...

Lost

Nope. Go for it!

My mom was a housewife for 25 years, graduated with her associates at 45, and now runs a multi-million dollar company. So no, NO ONE is ever too old for an education.

Thank you, everyone, for your encouragement. I just worry because I know age discrimination is still rampant, and I will be 52 or 53 by the time I finished. This would mean 55 to 57 before I was able to advance significantly within any given company/agency.

So when I say "too old", I don't mean in the sense that I can't handle it, but in the sense of whether it would be worth it given my competition of a much younger work force.

I would be entering a new field when many people would begin to think about retirement.

Also, HS does not pay much - but I do believe it would enable me to make more than my current salary. Even at 30K a year, I would have basically paid off tuition within two years (given my current salary).

Thank you, everyone, for your encouragement. I just worry because I know age discrimination is still rampant, and I will be 52 or 53 by the time I finished. This would mean 55 to 57 before I was able to advance significantly within any given company/agency.

 

So when I say "too old", I don't mean in the sense that I can't handle it, but in the sense of whether it would be worth it given my competition of a much younger work force.

 

I would be entering a new field when many people would begin to think about retirement.

 

Also, HS does not pay much - but I do believe it would enable me to make more than my current salary. Even at 30K a year, I would have basically paid off tuition within two years (given my current salary).

There are grants for nontraditional students. You may have to dig deep. Also, the healthcare and geriatrics are a field that is growing due to the aging population. I don't think it will be a problem finding a job. And besides, with bookkeeping skills if you want to do a little of that on the side - do taxes during the season part time temporary for H&R block or take on being the accountant for someone with an online business that only needs you a couple hours a month, etc, as a part time gig - you can do that too as a side job if you need to, or to pay your tuition down.

Nope! Never too old!

Thank you, everyone, for your encouragement. I just worry because I know age discrimination is still rampant, and I will be 52 or 53 by the time I finished. This would mean 55 to 57 before I was able to advance significantly within any given company/agency.

 

So when I say "too old", I don't mean in the sense that I can't handle it, but in the sense of whether it would be worth it given my competition of a much younger work force.

 

I would be entering a new field when many people would begin to think about retirement.

 

Also, HS does not pay much - but I do believe it would enable me to make more than my current salary. Even at 30K a year, I would have basically paid off tuition within two years (given my current salary).

Internships can be key. A lot of people are going back to school. They have no choice. you cannot deny the age thing but to that doesn't mean you cant get a job.

You have easily another 30 to 35 years ahead of you so you spend a little time and some money to make the next 30 years of your life more rewarding and better all the way around. Sounds like a great investment in YOU!!!

 

Look into alternative ways of finishing up, grants and other assistance programs in your area. You might be surprised in what you find.

 

It is never to late to grow...

 

Lost

That's the thing - as it stands now, I would take home 1K a month in social security if I retired at 67. However, since SS is calculated by your recent work years, I can up that if I can bring my salary up in the next few years. As a single woman, I can't live on 1K - I would never be able to retire.

Of course, whether SS will be there when I am 67 is for another thread, lol!

I would do it on-line, and I already have an A.A. plus some upper level credits. Most accredited schools will accept at least 30 transfer credits (if they are from accredited schools). So I am hoping I can get through it fairly quickly since I'm not getting any younger

I would do it on-line, and I already have an A.A. plus some upper level credits. Most accredited schools will accept at least 30 transfer credits (if they are from accredited schools). So I am hoping I can get through it fairly quickly since I'm not getting any younger

 

Gogogo!

 

When fear raises her snitty little head you look her right in the eye and say Yes I can!

 

There are barriers galore. If you focus on the barriers, that's all you will see. Train yourself to see opportunity, and it will be all you see.

My friend just completed and graduated with a degree in finance at the age of 56. I took her 5 years of mostly on line classes

She can now command the pay she deserves and the tuition is incidental in comparison.

Had she stayed at an entry level book keeper she could not see retirement in her future. Now she can.

She had the same thoughts and reservations. When she asked me my opinion. I said `what else do you have going on?'

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