States and colleges are pressing to get more adults to complete degrees, but many programs are not structured to serve them

"There is no analogous financial reward for participation in or performance at the Division I Women's Basketball Championship," the study says. "This sends a very clear and loud message to student-athletes, conferences, and schools about which sports matter and which sports do not."

Students returning to college campuses this fall may experience a transition similar to what astronauts go through when they return to Earth after a mission in outer space.