Nontraditional student

Category of students at colleges and universities Non-Traditional student is a category of students at colleges and universities in North America and usually involves age and social characteristics. Non-traditional students are contrasted with traditional students. The United States Department of Education estimated that 73% of all undergraduates in the United States attending accredited institutions in 1999–2000 had one or more nontraditional characteristics. This remained consistent in the following years: 72% in 2003–2004, 72% for 2007–2008, and 74% for 2011–2012. Definition and history It is uncertain exactly how or when the term “nontraditional student” was first incorporated into educational language. However, it is thought that K. Patricia Cross is responsible for the phrase becoming the accepted and appropriate term to describe adult students. In the United States, gender was a defining characteristic of nontraditional students, with women (particularly older women) being viewed as unusual; but gender is no longer a defining characteristic of nontraditional students in the United States due to women making up most of the college population and the decline of mal