Nontraditional Students: How Postsecondary Institutions Are Meeting the Challenge

Growth in the numbers of nontraditional students on campuses na-tionwide has increased significantly over the past two decades. Many nontraditional students return to the campus for career-related rea-sons. Societal transformations, demographic trends, and the develop-mental growth of adults appear to be interrelated components under-lying the changing composition of student populations. This article reports the results of a study which explored the cur-rent state of support services for nontraditional students at 226 pri-vate, four-year institutions in the Southeastern United States. Non-traditional students were defined in this study as undergraduate students who were 25 years old or older. Rationale Adults from all walks of life are returning to the campus in ever-increasing numbers, and frequently for reasons that are career-related (Adams, 1986; Aslanian & Brickell, 1980; Cross, 1981; Ka-sworm, 1980). Many occupations in our service-oriented, information-processing, credential society require formal education with intervals of additional education to update skills. Technological advances and occupational obsolescence necessitate lifelong learning. Moreover, adults continue to grow emotionally and psychologically throughout the life span (Baltes & Brim, 1980; Danish, 1981). This growth may promote a change in perspective which, in turn, ofte