The college life isn't just for those ages 18 to 24, and Spring Hill College is taking steps to make sure older students have a place on the campus.
SHC's Continuing Studies program, with a target audience of older students, is coming back after six years. Dr. Daniel Massey, a philosophy professor and the director of Continuing Studies shared the history and the main purpose of this program.
The Continuing Studies program was first founded in 1972 but has been inactive in the past few years, according to Massey. In the fall of 2019, the university decided to bring it back. Massey explained, “This is a program for people who maybe want to change their career paths or who went to school and didn’t finish.”
The program currently includes four concentrations. They are Supply Chain Management, Management and Marketing, Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Sports Management. Spring Hill is focusing on recruiting military members and their families. Regular tuition is $399 per credit hour, but for military families, it drops to $250 per credit hour. Massey added, “I think it’s the best price you will find from a four-year, non-profit school in this region.”
Joe Ferro, though not a part of Continuing Studies, is a student with unique perspective about being older than the 18-24 age group. Ferro began studying at Spring Hill in the summer of 2012 as a Pre-med major. In the fall of 2013, he transferred out and decided it would be beneficial to gain work experience. In between then, he moved, started a sales job, and re-enrolled at the University of St. Thomas with a business degree.
Ferro then moved once again back to Mobile and was unsure of what to do. He recalled his experience at Spring Hill and said, “While at Spring Hill, I fell in love with the people and the community. That’s why I went back there. The faculty and staff always left me with a great impression and I wanted to be a part of the community.” This led him to re-enroll for his final year with a major in general studies.
Ferro shared some common misconceptions people have about returning back to school. He stated, “People struggle with having the right mindset. It’s never too late to go back to school or to humble yourself to learn and grow no matter your age.” Ferro stands by these words today and is currently lined up to graduate in May 2020.
For more information about the program, admissions requirements and more, visit www.SHC.edu/ContinuingStudies or email cs@shc.edu.