The Non-Traditional Student: Misunderstood and Under-recognized

By Nicole Graham on August 27, 2012

When someone thinks of a non traditional student, they often think of the random middle aged person in their class asking way too many questions and writing notes in a notebook rather than on their laptop. Though this might have been the non traditional student at one time, it only makes up a very small fraction of this particular population now.

Photo from flickr.com uploaded by The Lawleys

First let’s define “non-traditional” student: Here are some of the characteristics:

  •  a person with a dependent
  •  a person with a full time job
  •  a person considered independent by the government
  •  a person attending college part time
  • a person who does not attend college directly following high school graduation

And the list continues….

Today, 38% of the student population in colleges and universities is comprised of non-traditional students, and it is projected that this number will steadily increase in the coming years. It is safe to say that the definition of a “traditional” student might undergo some changes if these statistics do see their projected increase. The life of the average American has changed dramatically and the idea of the “traditional” student might soon fade into the background completely.

With that said, what of programs available for the non-traditional student? Many colleges and universities offer night and weekend classes but seldom is there a complete program for someone with a family and/or a job. There are many institutions like the University of Phoenix  that offer programs with flexible schedules and a variety of class types, but let’s face it- sometimes a student just wants that big university name on the header of their degree.

Another issue that exists when it comes to obtaining a degree is the sheer time it takes to complete one. Most non-traditional students are unable to attend college full time due to an array of outside obligations.  This can deter them from attending at all because a standard 4-year degree becomes a daunting 8+ year task. Many non-traditional students simply do not have 8 years to dedicate to an education. Again, reform at the universities might need to come sooner than later.

Eckerd College is one of the few that offers a complete list of academic major and minor programs  that caters to the non-traditional student . Called PEL (Program for Experienced Learners), students are able to attend college at night, online, or on the weekends. The PEL program solves this and many other problems. Here are the highlights of the program:

  • You must be 23 or older for PEL admission
  • 16 week classes are condensed into 8 weeks, allowing a student to still take 4 classes in one semester session. (2 are taken per 8 week period which solves the issue of a degree taking too long to complete)
  • Experiential credit can be awarded through work and or life experience. This allows for the student to obtain college credit for basically being an active and contributing member of society and learning along the way.
  • Tuition much lower than that of the traditional student to accommodate for the lack of scholarships and financial aid available to the non-traditional student.

Find out more about the PEL program here. Does your school offer a program like this?

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