Non-Traditional Students: New Research, Old Results

A current article by Meris Stansbury in eCampus News (“Is it time to rethink the term nontraditional student?”) cites recently released data (not recent data) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in suggesting that we need to take a closer look at traditional vs. nontraditional students.  The data include characteristics of postsecondary nontraditional students, e.g., having one or more dependents, and being employed full-time.  Additional data show percentages of students who fit the nontraditional profile.  All of the data points to an increasing number of students who fall into the nontraditional category. The article concludes that the definition of a traditional student may be outdated, and that institutions should be doing more to serve the nontraditional population.


While the article itself and the NCES data are accurate, they are both sadly out of date.  The article notes that the NCES data show essentially the same results as the data from 20 years ago. Further, the “new” data come from a study of students in 2011-12. So it isn’t time to rethink the term.  It is time to ask why higher education (and those who report on it) has remained monolithic for two decades.  The salient fact is that the profile of American students has changed—and not recently.  So the question to be asked is not whether it is time to rethink the definition of nontraditional student.  The question is why higher education has failed to do so for so long. We need to stop doing research and do SOMETHING.

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