Non-traditional students
Encyclopedia
Non-traditional student is an American English
term referring to some students at tertiary educational institutions
. The National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) acknowledges there is no precise definition for non-traditional student, but suggests that part-time status and age are common elements in most definitions. In a 1996 study, the NCES included anyone who satisfies at least one of the following as a non-traditional student:
By this standard, the NCES determined that 73% of all undergraduates in 1999–2000 could be considered non-traditional, therefore comprising the vast majority of total undergraduate students in the United States, and representing the newly "typical" undergraduate. In 2008, 46% of postsecondary students were enrolled part-time, 32% were employed full-time, 47% were independent students, and 13% were single parents.
dedicated specifically to helping non-traditional age students complete their bachelor's degrees.Women's colleges
with long traditions have offered programs for older women who would like to return to school, such as Agnes Scott College
's Irene K. Woodruff return-to-college program, Mount Holyoke College
's Frances Perkins Program, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College's Women's External Degree Program, Simmons College (Massachusetts)
's Dorothea Lynde Dix Scholars Program, Smith College
's Ada Comstock Scholars Program, Bryn Mawr College
's Katherine McBride Scholars Program, and Wellesley College's Davis Degree Program. Similarly, Tufts University
's REAL program (Resumed Education for Adult Learners) was originally intended to draw young mothers back into higher education, but soon expanded to admit men and women aged 24 or over.
Such programs have become common-place, extending even to colleges in Ivy League
universities. Yale University
hosts a non-traditional student option through its Eli Whitney
Students Program. "Whitney Students" take classes with other undergraduates and may earn either a B.A. or B.S. degree. The Eli Whitney Students Program is very small and highly competitive. Brown University
also hosts a similar program called Resumed Undergraduate Education.
, the Columbia University School of General Studies
, and the Harvard Extension School
at Harvard University
. The State University of New York
serves non-traditional students with their own college through the multi-campus Empire State College
. Students at these colleges may take all of their courses with other non-traditional students, or may share class with students from other colleges in the respective university, or some combination of the two. Distance learning also caters to non-traditional students. Among the largest accredited examples is the University of Phoenix
.
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
term referring to some students at tertiary educational institutions
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
. The National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
(NCES) acknowledges there is no precise definition for non-traditional student, but suggests that part-time status and age are common elements in most definitions. In a 1996 study, the NCES included anyone who satisfies at least one of the following as a non-traditional student:
- Delays enrollment (does not enter postsecondary education in the same calendar year that he or she finished high school)
- Attends part time for at least part of the academic year
- Works full time (35 hours or more per week) while enrolled
- Is considered financially independent for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid
- Has dependents other than a spouse (usually children, but sometimes others)
- Is a single parent (either not married or married but separated and has dependents)
- Does not have a high school diploma (completed high school with a GED or other high school completion certificate or did not finish high school)
By this standard, the NCES determined that 73% of all undergraduates in 1999–2000 could be considered non-traditional, therefore comprising the vast majority of total undergraduate students in the United States, and representing the newly "typical" undergraduate. In 2008, 46% of postsecondary students were enrolled part-time, 32% were employed full-time, 47% were independent students, and 13% were single parents.
Programs
Programs for non-traditional students include options for both full-time and part-time study, though both choices are not necessarily available at every institution. Many colleges offer programs within their regular curriculum to serve non-traditional students. An example of this would be the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which, since 1971, has been supporting an academic major called the University Without Walls- UMass AmherstUniversity Without Walls- UMass Amherst
University Without Walls, UMass Amherst is an adult bachelor's degree completion program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Founded in 1971 as part of the national University Without Walls movement to increase access to higher education, UMass University Without Walls was one of the first...
dedicated specifically to helping non-traditional age students complete their bachelor's degrees.Women's colleges
Women's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
with long traditions have offered programs for older women who would like to return to school, such as Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
's Irene K. Woodruff return-to-college program, Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
's Frances Perkins Program, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College's Women's External Degree Program, Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
's Dorothea Lynde Dix Scholars Program, Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
's Ada Comstock Scholars Program, Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
's Katherine McBride Scholars Program, and Wellesley College's Davis Degree Program. Similarly, Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
's REAL program (Resumed Education for Adult Learners) was originally intended to draw young mothers back into higher education, but soon expanded to admit men and women aged 24 or over.
Such programs have become common-place, extending even to colleges in Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
universities. Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
hosts a non-traditional student option through its Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
Students Program. "Whitney Students" take classes with other undergraduates and may earn either a B.A. or B.S. degree. The Eli Whitney Students Program is very small and highly competitive. Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
also hosts a similar program called Resumed Undergraduate Education.
Colleges
In contrast, a few select degree-granting colleges (not merely "programs" or "divisions" within an existing college) are oriented entirely towards non-traditional students. Examples include the Fordham College of Liberal Studies at Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, the Columbia University School of General Studies
Columbia University School of General Studies
The School of General Studies, commonly known as General Studies or simply GS, is one of the three official undergraduate colleges at Columbia University. It is a highly selective Ivy League undergraduate liberal arts college designed for non-traditional students and confers Bachelor of Art and...
, and the Harvard Extension School
Harvard Extension School
Harvard University Extension School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the thirteen degree-granting schools of Harvard University and is part of the Division of Continuing Education.-Origins:...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. The State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
serves non-traditional students with their own college through the multi-campus Empire State College
Empire State College
Empire State College, one of the thirteen arts and science colleges of the State University of New York, is a multi-site institution offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is primarily oriented towards the adult learner...
. Students at these colleges may take all of their courses with other non-traditional students, or may share class with students from other colleges in the respective university, or some combination of the two. Distance learning also caters to non-traditional students. Among the largest accredited examples is the University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
.
See also
- Adult educationAdult educationAdult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
- Adult learnerAdult learnerAdult learner or mature learner is a term used to describe any person socially accepted as an adult who is in a learning process, whether it is formal education, informal learning, or corporate-sponsored learning.Adult learners are considered distinct from child learners due...
- Alpha Sigma LambdaAlpha Sigma LambdaAlpha Sigma Lambda is a national honor society for non-traditional undergraduate students who achieve and maintain outstanding scholastic standards and leadership characteristics while adroitly handling additional responsibilities of work and family .The founding chapter was established by Dr...
- Continuing educationContinuing educationContinuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
- Mature student
Further reading
- Crimaldi, Laura, "Older residents follow Pathway to college", Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, Sunday, January 4, 2009. About students successes in the College Pathways program at ABCD Learning Works in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. - Rogers, Alan, "Non-formal Education: Flexible Schooling Or Participatory Education?", Springer, 2005. ISBN 0387246363
External links
- Yesterday's Nontraditional Student is Today's Traditional Student. Center for Law and Social Policy, June 29, 2011.