They’re coming.

The children of millennials, generation Alpha, are on their way to a college near you, and their expectations for higher education will be unlike anything we’ve seen.

Generation Alpha celebrated its first birthday in 2011. Although these six-year-olds are not yet college-ready, colleges can begin preparations to meet the influencers of the future. These children are already influencing their parents’ spending habits. Millenials are more than willing to provide their generation Alpha children with what they need for success, and these parents are seeking non-traditional opportunities.

There’s no reason to expect that this trend will wane by the time generation Alpha will be ready for college matriculation.

Here’s how colleges can get ready for generation Alpha:

Comfort with Technology

You can expect generation Alpha students to have developed an unprecedented comfort with technology. All they will have known in their lives is the seamless integration between technology and everyday living.

These students will expect technology to be integrated into college life and university studies, and their purchasing and learning will be virtual.

Less is more

Because technology broadens the world, colleges would do well to create programs of study that require deep learning. Generation Alpha is the offspring of millennials who refused to inherit their parents’ collections of furniture, art, and family mementos. They, like their parents, will have a laser-like focus on needs instead of wants. Education will be no exception to this rule.

Colleges can help prepare for this singular approach to studies by offering fewer degrees and providing a richer context for study.

The generation Alpha students will strive to become subject matter specialists in their chosen fields, and they will be willing to invest the time it takes to do that.

Palpable Effects on Learning

Don’t expect the Generation Alphas to wait until college to do their learning. This generation will be more entrepreneurial than any other, and you can expect many of its members to have already started their own companies.

They are coming to your college with experience, and they’ll want you to help them refine their knowledge so they can apply it in creative ways.

Generation Alphas are more likely to live into their 100s, and this longevity will afford them with rich knowledge, learned from their studies and from experiences.

With the right planning, you’ll be ready for the class of 2033.