The literature was studied to investigate some of the significant factors that affect participation of the non-institutionalized older person in lifelong learning programs. Sources were fairly recent (1975-80) abstracts, journals, textbooks, ERIC documents, and SCAN (The Social Gerontology Resource Center). The age-span under consideration was age 65 and over. Focuses of the literature review were economic and geographic background; educational gerontology; the learning environment; physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics; and sociological and cultural profiles. Reasons for low level participation of the older person were cost, inconvenience, transportation problems, attitudes towared self and educational institutions, and anxiety over negative attitudes of faculty and other students. It was recommended that tasks should be eliminated or minimized that relate to functions that decline with age, the university should involve older persons in education, and a theory of learning needs to be developed from the older learner's perspective. (In addition to a 10-page bibliography, statistics are appended that relate to participation in adult education, 1969-75.) (YLB)