By: Eileen F. Schiffer, Faculty Focus
Trends toward increased enrollment of non-traditional students are expected to continue (Stringer, 2015). Discussions about nontraditional college students often highlight some of the challenges our adult students face, such as balancing work, family, and school commitments, overcoming previous academic patterns that no longer serve them, and adapting to new approaches to learning (such as online classes.) The flip side, though, is that many non-traditional students bring a wealth of personal and professional experience to their pursuit of a new degree, which serves to the benefit their academic cohort (Stringer, 2015). Many non-traditional adult students are “career enhancers” (Pelletier, 2010) By 2021, it’s expected that nearly 7 million postsecondary students will be attending part time, and enrollment of students over age 35 will increase 25%. The total number of master’s degrees awarded is projected to increase 34% and doctoral degrees are expected to increase by 24% (Hussar & Bailey, 2013).
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