It's not an exaggeration to say going back to school changed Erin Vaughan's life. Advertisement"It is truly one of the hardest things I've ever done, but the most rewarding thing," Vaughan told Business Insider. AdvertisementShe's among a growing number of older adults who have decided to return to school later in life to give themselves another shot at higher education. On top of that, a report from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation on the state of higher education in 2024 found that "adults' interest in pursuing some form of higher education is at the highest level" the organizations ever recorded. The high cost of college is also a key factor as to why many Gen Zers have chosen to skip higher education altogether, instead choosing to pursue careers that do not require college degrees.

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Persons: It's, Erin Vaughan's, Vaughan, —, I've, she's, hasn't, doesn't, Xer, Zers Organizations: Service, Business, BI, National Bureau of Economic Research, Gallup, Lumina Foundation, Vaughan Locations: Los Angeles