CINCINNATI (AP) -- An Ohio man who started as a freshman at a university in southern Ohio more than 50 years ago is about to achieve his ambition of earning a college degree.

Eighty-nine-year-old Clell Elliott of Franklin Furnace in southern Ohio will join 398 other graduates Saturday to receive his diploma at the University of Rio (RY'-oh) Grande about 120 miles east of Cincinnati. His three children will be cheering him on.

The Kentucky native was able to complete the college education he started in 1958 and earn a bachelor's degree in business management through the university's adult studies program.

The program is for those 24 years of age and older who had to leave college before graduating. It allows them to blend courses with work experience to earn a college degree.