A growing a number of Americans are going back to school either for sheer enjoyment or to stay competitive in the workforce.

Learning for fun: There are several community programs that help adults learn a variety of subjects. The local community center may have a Computer program to make adults comfortable with online communities. The advantage of this particular computer learning program is that many seniors have discovered the power of websites like WebMD or the HHS in answering important health questions. There’s usually a booklet or pamplet you can get from a local library that outlines the classes (computers, stitching, cooking, sports and so on) offered in the region.

Learning for a job: Sometimes the desire to go back to school is motivated by a need to upgrade work skills. Many employees are finding an upgraded education is necessary to move up the corporate ladder.

Paying for an education: Some employers will subsidize the cost of education as a part of their talent development program. If your employer does not offer this feature, the government provides education tax incentives for adults going back to school that can substantially defray the cost of learning:

• The Lifetime Learning Credit is a credit worth up to $2,000 per year to cover the tuition and fees for higher education courses whether to acquire or improve job skills. The amount of refund depends on your income, the maximum tax deduction is offered to individuals earning less than $40,000 a year. The more you earn in income, the less the tax credit will be.
• If you graduate with a student loan you can effectively deduct up to $2,500 of the interest you pay on student loans each year. Again, the deduction depends on your income. To take advantage of the maximum tax deduction your income must be below $50,000 a year.

What’s important about education deductions is they need to be work related. The IRS states: “to be deductible, your expenses must be for education that maintains or improves your job performance or serves the purpose of your employer and is required by the employer or by law to keep your salary, status or job.”
Once you’ve picked what you want to learn and how to pay for it balancing the demands of school and life can be challenging, but not impossible. Universities and colleges have created special part time or evening programs especially for adults that need to balance life and school. In my particular case, I’ll be going to school for one semester to finish an evening class on Organizational Behavior. If you’re having difficulty planning how to balance life and school here are some helpful tips:

• Map out what your life goals are and confirm if returning to school can achieve them.
• Establish a support network of friends or family before classes start to see whether your family supports your decision.
• When you begin classes make friends with other adults. It’ll be a lot easier to cope with school if someone understands what you’re going through.
• Look for programs designed especially for adult students (evening classes, part time studies, specially trained academic advisors). Almost all universities have a department that caters to make mature learners comfortable.
• Keep your eye on the prize. Always remember what your reason to go back to school was. Accomplish your goal when your education is complete.