Editing Nontraditional student (section)

==Special characteristics==
Nontraditional students frequently have different characteristics than traditional students, experience different barriers, and have different instructional and campus support needs than traditional students.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kasworm|first1=Carol E.|title=Setting the Stage: Adults in Higher Education|journal=New Directions for Student Services|date=2003|volume=2003|issue=102|pages=3–8|doi=10.1002/ss.83|citeseerx=10.1.1.546.1980}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Serving adult learners in higher education: Principles of effectiveness. Executive summary|date=2000|publisher=Council for Adult and Experiential Learning|location=Chicago, IL|url=https://www.instituteofhealthscience.org/pdf/Adult_Learners_in_Education.pdf|access-date=8 July 2017}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Panacci|first1=Adam G.|title=Adult Students in Mixed-Age Postsecondary Classrooms: Implications for Instructional Approaches|journal=College Quarterly|date=2017|volume=20|issue=2|url=http://collegequarterly.ca/2017-vol20-num02-spring/adult-students-in-mixed-age-postsecondary-classroom-implications-for-instructional-approaches.html|access-date=8 July 2017}}</ref>

While many institutions offer [[List of programs and colleges for non-traditional students|programs for nontraditional students]] and services in response to their specific needs,<ref>{{cite book|title=Principles in Practice: Assessing Adult Learning Focused Institutions. Case Studies|date=2005|publisher=Council for Adult and Experiential Learning|location=Chicago, IL|url=http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/617695/22_ALFI_Case_Study.pdf|access-date=8 July 2017}}</ref> it is frequently observed that traditional higher education programs and policies are geared toward, and the outcome of, the previous era when traditional students were the main market for higher education.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Chao|first1=E. L.|last2=DeRocco|first2=E. S.|last3=Flynn|first3=M. K.|date=2007|title=Adult learners in higher education: Barriers to success and strategies to improve results|url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED497801.pdf|journal=Employment and Training Administration Occasional Paper 2007-03|publisher=U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration|location=Washington, DC}}</ref> Institutional barriers most frequently identified in research include difficulty obtaining financial support, negative attitudes toward adult learners, a general lack of resources at times and places suitable to adult learners, and recognition of prior learning and academic credentials.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://en.copian.ca/library/research/sotfr/barriers/barriers.pdf|title=State of the field review: Barriers to participation in adult learning|last1=MacKeracher|first1=D.|last2=Suart|first2=T.|date=2006|last3=Potter|first3=J.}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The nontraditional student designation has also to a lesser extent been used to refer to socially, economically or educationally disadvantaged students.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=K.A. |date=2002 |title=ERIC review: Exploring the meaning of "nontraditional" at the community college |journal=Community College Review |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=74–89 |doi=10.1177/009155210203000104 |s2cid=143876218}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schuetze |first1=Hans G. |last2=Slowey |first2=Maria |year=2002 |title=Participation and exclusion: A comparative analysis of non-traditional students and lifelong learners in higher education |journal=Higher Education |volume=44 |issue=3–4 |pages=309–327 |doi=10.1023/A:1019898114335 |s2cid=142558044}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rowan-Kenyon |first=Heather T. |date=2007 |title=Predictors of delayed college enrollment and the impact of socioeconomic status |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/content/crossref/journals/journal_of_higher_education/v078/78.2rowan-kenyon.html |journal=The Journal of Higher Education |language=en |volume=78 |issue=2 |pages=188–214 |doi=10.1353/jhe.2007.0012 |issn=1538-4640|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Situational barriers most frequently experienced by adult nontraditional students typically include managing multiple conflicting responsibilities in addition to their studies (e.g., life and work responsibilities and roles), financial problems and limited financial aid options for nontraditional students, lack of adequate and affordable childcare services, and lack of support from others.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

Attitudinal barriers most frequently identified in research include low self-esteem and negative attitudes about being an adult learner.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

Barriers related to academic skills most frequently discussed in the literature include a lack of knowledge and experience in literacy, numeracy, and computer-related skills, accessing and understanding information, critical and reflective thinking, essay writing, and writing examinations and tests.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

An Australian study conducted in 2017 sampled 442 (316 female, 126 male) first year undergraduate psychology students at a major publicly funded university. Data was drawn from an online mental health survey to measure ''student resilience''. Resilience can be defined as the ‘personal qualities that enable one to thrive in the face of adversity’ (Connor and Davidson, 2003: 76). The Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10; Campbell-Sills and Stein, 2007) was adopted as a measure of resilience. Out of the total 442 respondents, 25.6% identified themselves as ‘non-traditional’ students (n = 113). Those who identified themselves as ‘non-traditional’ were significantly different from those who considered themselves as ‘traditional’ on a number of demographic measures. They were more likely to be male, older, hold a previous degree, study part-time, be an international student, speak a language other than English, have longer gap year, have more children, be reliant on government financial aid, work longer hours and admit to university via methods alternative to the standard pathway (i.e. Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). The most common reason that students used to identify themselves as ‘non-traditional’ was age (58.4%, n = 66). Other reasons included cultural background (43.4%, n = 50), admission pathway (42.5%, n = 48), geographical origin (30.1%, n = 34), being employed (25.7%, n = 29), household income (20.4%, n = 23), being a parent (18.6%, n = 21) and mode of study (14.2%, n = 16). Seventeen students nominated other reasons (15.9%, n = 17), including richer life experience and reason for study (e.g. for self-improvement rather than occupational reasons). The major finding from this study is that those who perceived themselves to be ‘non-traditional’, particularly in terms of age, roles as a parent and role as an employee, have reported higher resilience.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1177/1469787417693493|title = Differences in resilience between 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' university students|year = 2017|last1 = Chung|first1 = Ethel|last2 = Turnbull|first2 = Deborah|last3 = Chur-Hansen|first3 = Anna|journal = Active Learning in Higher Education|volume = 18|pages = 77–87|s2cid = 151910667}}</ref>