Most non-traditional students -- older students who have taken a break from their studies due to job responsibilities, financial concerns, family emergencies, or because they just weren't ready the first time around -- worry that they will somehow be "behind" in their studies, and that they will not be able to keep up with the kids who have continued on to university straight after high school. This is rarely (if ever) the case, and here are some reasons your professors will be glad to see you, your chosen program of study will be glad to include you, and your institution will be proud to number you among their aspiring graduates. 

• Applying to College:College Board Tips 
• Federal Aid for Students
• Scholarships for Non-Traditional Students
• US Universities by State
• Two-Year Colleges by State
• Technical Colleges
• Regional Colleges 

• professors really do like to have a range of age groups and life experiences in the classrooms or lecture theatres (if only so they know that at least a couple of people get their jokes about 1990's music)
• it is a benefit for the traditional students to have your example (honest) inside the classroom -- they get to hear some different perspectives they would not otherwise be exposed to -- and outside the classroom.  Older students (even a couple of years can make all the difference) tend to have better study habits  
• your program of study might benefit from your enrollment: take the example of an older male student going back to school to study nursing.  His program gets to use his presence to advertise and hopefully attract more guys to sign up (and I don't just mean in terms of diversity or minority funding)
• older students really are a good addition to the institution

You might think you don't set an example to the younger students, but you do -- even if you wasted your college years the first time around by getting wasted -- that in itself can influence your classmates positively.  So don't think that you are too old or that you will not be welcome.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Since you are planning to attend university, college, or any institution of further education with real goals in mind, whether to qualify for a promotion at work or change careers, take the time to research the range of educational institutions that are available to you. Small, regional colleges can be packed full of great programs, offer more evening classes to fit your work schedule, and not cost as much as their larger city counterparts (which, if they are indeed large universities, will emphasize research and scholarship among their faculty, rather than teaching, and I'll say more on that in a moment). Where I live, there is a small university campus and a small technical college. The university offers undergraduate degrees just like any larger institution, but caters to non-traditional students with a good range of evening courses in place. The technical college offers diplomas and certifications just as in any larger city -- but again, the cost is lower and the college understands that work schedules are an issue.

An important aspect to consider is financial aid, institutional, local, regional, and national scholarship availibility, grant monies available, and student loan possibilities. Smaller campuses tend to have Student Financial Services specifically trained in finding money for you -- whether it be a grant you would never have dreamed of, or a scholarship you've never heard of -- and helping you apply. Of course, you can research financial assistance yourself -- you'd be foolish not to -- but you would be pleased to know how much easier it can be when a professional, who has all the facts at his fingertips, is there to help you through the process.

Professors at smaller institutions are usually there because they want to teach. Their enthusiasm is worth a lot --really! and you may not find it at larger universities where a percentage of the faculty are involved in esoteric research that takes them away from the classroom and the students. You would think that all professors want to teach, right? Well, this isn't always the case, nor can it be, and often you will find graduate teaching assistants taking over for experienced professors and teaching lower-level college courses. Mind, the graduate students will often have real passion for their subject (I paid my way through graduate school by teaching freshman courses, and loved it), but this might not always be the case.

Choose a program you can realistically complete. Since you are going to be investing time and a lot of money into your education, double check that the qualifications you receive will be exactly what you need in order to apply for that promotion or new job of your dreams. Also, it's a great idea to double check everything your advisor of study within the program tells you, and to keep your own checklist of courses and program requirements, so that you can map your progress through the degree with confidence. It is always disappointing to discover that you have to postpone graduation for another whole semester just because you forgot to take that Spanish class you dropped out of your first semester back. . . .

Don't be tempted to take too many classes at once. This one is really difficult, as many students relying on financial aid are required to carry fifteen hours of classes -- that's five courses -- a semester. It is very difficult to study for five courses -- the workload of reading, reports, research papers is extremely demanding. Now add a forty-hour work week into the equation. Ouch. If you have to take fifteen hours, talk to your advisor about scheduling possibilities,and find out which courses have the heaviest reading loads, etc., so that you can combine the more demanding courses with that bowling or yoga elective to take the pressure off. This might sound like simple common sense -- but it's easy to forget about issues like this when you are trying to make your schedule fit in with your life, so don't forget to let yourself have some fun or relaxation, too.

Finally, a word about online degrees. Unless you are a highly motivated introvert shut in, don't sign up for an online program. You'll probably have opportunities to take a couple of online courses at a live campus, and that can help your schedule.  It can also make sense if it's a recap of course materials you are already familiar with or know you can study alone.  But for a degree, there is no substitute for human interaction in education.