Who Are Nontraditional Students?

Abstract

This chapter examines the definition of nontraditional students, including the history and evolution of the term. There is a variety of terms used when researching nontraditional students, and here the common characteristics are defined and discussed, along with current trends and statistics in education. This book advocates using Horn and Carroll's seven characteristics, with an additional consideration of age. It is important to create an operational definition of the term ‘nontraditional student' in order to help faculty and institutions adjust how they approach and accommodate this increasing population of college students. As ‘nontraditional' students become the norm, it is also imperative to remove any stigmatization of the term that may exist.