Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for Education Dive, Alan Kadish shares his opinions on non-traditional students, who they are, and how higher education institutions can support them.

· What is a non-traditional student? What is the best way schools can support these students as they pave the way for their future? 

· Here's how educators are helping non-traditional students succeed. 

I would like to correct a significant misnomer in academia. The phrase "non-traditional student" is often used to describe older students, those working full-time and those juggling parenting responsibilities. College marketing materials, as well as depictions in movies, TV and newspapers, conjure up images of energetic 18-year-olds swinging backpacks as they stride through ivy-covered archways into great halls of learning.

The reality is somewhat different. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics as reported by NPR, this is a more realistic snapshot of today's college students:

  • One in five is age 30 or older.
  • Half are financially independent from parents.
  • One in four take a year off before starting school.
  • One-quarter is caring for a child.
  • 47% attend college part time at some point.

For this fast-growing cohort of students, upscale gyms with climbing walls, spring break trips to Costa Rica and Greek life are irrelevant. They are not looking for a social life on campus and they are not experiencing independence for the first time when they attend freshman orientation.

They often start college with focused academic and career goals and with needs many colleges are unprepared to meet. Rather than referring to them as "non-traditional" I propose we think of them as "the future faces of education."

Read the full article about non-traditional students by Alan Kadish at Education Dive.