Nontraditional Students: Some Implications for Educators
While the traditional student (typically one who has entered college after graduating from high school with no extended gaps in his or her full time educational career) has dominated the college scene until the late sixties and early seventies, by some estimates over 60% of undergraduates today are nontraditional according to the definition below, and their numbers are growing. Nontraditional students are often classified by their age (25 and over), and the National Center for Education Statistics characterizes them in one or more of the following ways: by their family status (have dependents other than a spouse), their economic status (financially independent), their work status (hold full time jobs) and by part-time attendance at college classes which limits their eligibility for financial aid.
Nontraditional students often have perspectives on their education that focuses on the value of their education in aiding them to advance in their work place, or to find new jobs with better pay or conditions. Thus, while they are fine with a few courses designed in the traditional model, they rebel against programs that require large numbers of general course requirements that lack relevance to their search for ways to better their lives.
This group of students, while sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to fit into the nontraditional student model, are a widely varied group. In my experience, I have found that they may range in age anywhere from 25 to 88 years of age. They may experience conflicts between meeting the obligation of attending classes and their family and work commitments. I have known nontraditional students who have been called into active military duty during their college enrollment. Many have experienced workforce reductions. Some are single mothers who can finally focus on developing their career because their children are older. I have known any number of nontraditional students whose educational goal is to graduate from college with their child.
But despite the growing presence of those who meet the above definition of a nontraditional student enrolled in college-level classes, relatively few colleges and universities have services that cater to the nontraditional students. Because of their demographic characteristics, the nontraditional students have differing expectations and needs compared to the traditional 18-22 year old student. Not only are the nontraditional students less interested in the social life of a campus, they have little time for the traditional college schedule of Monday through Friday classes in the morning and early afternoon, which is their prime work hours. Even evening courses, which are typically offered in a traditional format of meeting two or three evenings per week, require time lost in traveling back and forth to classes – that is, if they have dependable transportation available. This affords less time with the family in the evening. The traditional course schedule is usually inflexible, making it difficult for nontraditional students to integrate their often-changing work schedules and child care needs with class attendance requirements.
Further, the life experience and work context of the nontraditional student results in a way of learning meaningfully that is different than the traditional student. They are interested in understanding the material to be learned in a broader context rather than just memorizing facts, many of which will be forgotten after the exam and thus of little use as they seek to develop a professional career.
Nontraditional students need nontraditional education programs by which they are able to advance their educational and career goals. Endless time attending classes that give them no flexibility to complete on their own schedules are less than helpful. Class schedules that make it impossible to attend and still meet family and work obligations are, for many, an insurmountable barrier.
The good news for nontraditional students is that there are colleges and universities that are increasingly becoming attuned to their needs. There are adult degree programs that enable students to apply both educational credits earned in the distant past as well as their work and life experience toward their college degree. These programs usually take the work schedule and family commitments of the student into account in the way the classes are scheduled and conducted, with some components, if not the entire program, on line.
NursingABC courses for those needing high school credits, and Portage Learning courses for those needing college level courses, are designed with nontraditional students in mind with a unique combination of enrollment flexibility and course completion schedule that makes it friendly to their varied contexts. For example, students can enroll at any time, on any day, during the year. They can start their courses when it is convenient for their work and family schedules. Students may complete their courses in as little as three weeks or may take up to a year to complete each course, depending on their schedules. The courses are completely on line which allows the students to take the courses at any location that has an internet connection. The courses are asynchronous meaning students can go on line at any time, 24 hours a day, to complete coursework. Instructors respond to student questions on line within 24 hours in nearly all cases. Additionally, courses are affordable making the need for large student loans unnecessary.
While completing the requirements for a degree in one’s chosen field requires extra navigation of institutional requirements for nontraditional students, NursingABC and Portage Learning offer convenient and affordable first steps toward meeting the prerequisites of a college program.
