Running head: IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
Impactors, Both Positive and Negative, Affecting the Decision of Non-Traditional Students
Planning to Attend Post-Secondary Schooling.
Ryan Wenzel
University of Alaska Southeast
1
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
2
Introduction
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 38% of college students
nationwide are nontraditional students (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2009).
Nontraditional students are defined as students who do not immediately enter college having
finished high school (Ross-Gordon, 2011). This number continues to grow each year due to a
number of factors, most notably the recent economic crisis. The decision to attend postsecondary schooling is a difficult one for any individual, and can be even more daunting to
nontraditional students, many of whom have careers, families, and other factors and stressors that
make returning to any sort of school a difficult proposition. As the population of nontraditional
students continues to grow, understanding and defining the factors leading to their decision to
attend post-secondary school will continue to grow in importance. Management of these factors
may lead to increased enrollment and higher success rates in finishing postsecondary programs
for these students. As educators and student advocates, it behooves us to gain a stronger
understanding of a population of students that will grow in size and importance for the
foreseeable future.
The Context of this Study
I am currently a student in the University of Alaska Southeast Masters of
Education/Educational Technology program. I have already earned a Bachelor of Science in
Management and a Masters of Business Administration/Public Administration, both as a nontraditional student. I am a resident of a rural community that is largely isolated from much of
mainstream America, due to geographical distance and the town's location on an island. For me
and many residents, traditional postsecondary study is not an option. As a college student and
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
3
graduate, I see the importance of postsecondary education. I also understand many of the factors
that make the decision to attend postsecondary schooling a difficult one for nontraditional
students. In my free time, I mentor a number of nontraditional students, by helping them find a
college or vocational school, choose a program, enroll, prepare financial aid documents, and
tutoring them as necessary. As a result of my efforts, I have seen a number of students succeed,
and an equal number either fail or choose not to attend postsecondary schooling. These failures
and non-students are the reason I have chosen to look at the factors relating to the decision to
enroll, as an attempt to understand and mitigate the potential negative factors, in order to
encourage enrollment and facilitate success among the students I deal with, along with the
population of non-traditional students at large.
The Purpose of this Study
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe and better understand the
factors that lead non-traditional students to choose to either enroll or not enroll in post-secondary
educational institutions.
Research Questions
Through this study, I hope to uncover some of the major factors that either encourage or
inhibit non-traditional students decision to attend postsecondary schooling in either an academic
or vocational school, online or on campus. Primary research questions include:
1. What are the common preconceptions of non-traditional students thinking about
entering a postsecondary program?
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
4
2. What are the shared factors that encourage non-traditional students to consider
attending postsecondary schooling?
3. What are the shared factors that inhibit non-traditional students' decision to attend
post-secondary schooling?
Review of the Literature
The purpose of this literature review is to examine research relating to nontraditional
students' decision to either attend or not attend postsecondary schooling. As there is a substantial
amount of research available on the subject, the literature review was limited to those having
direct bearing on the subject. The emergent themes from the literature review were shared
barriers, shared financial constraints exacerbated by an ill-fitting financial aid system, and shared
positive motivators to counterbalance the constraints.
Emergent Themes
Shared Barriers
Keith (2007) identified, "...three types of barriers confronted by older students:
situational, dispositional, and institutional" (p. 1). Situational constraints include family,
employment, and other barriers that may conflict with academic scheduling. A 2008 article
emphasizes the difficulties created by situational constraints, stating that as many as 20% of
nontraditional students decide against attending or completing postsecondary schooling because,
"...their infants need so much attention and time that, as parents, they cannot also find the time to
attend school" (Nicholas, 2008, p. 2). Dispositional constraints are defined as interpersonal
attributes that can cause adjustment issues and conflict with the academic lifestyle, and,
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
5
"Institutional barriers refer to aspects of the structure of educational organizations that may
impede older students' attainment and fail to meet their needs" (Keith, 2007, p. 1). An example
of institutional barriers comes from a 2008 article, which states, "Despite the increase in
nontraditional students in U.S. institutions of higher learning, most academic programs are built
upon traditional student models. Admissions and progressions are formulated with the traditional
student in mind, and students’ success in the learning process is largely based upon grades"
(Philibert, Allen, & Elleven, 2008, p. 3). A 2009 study reinforces the impact these stressors have
on nontraditional students, emphasizing that the primary stressors for nontraditional students are
family-school conflict and school-work conflict (Giancola, Grawitch, & Borchert, 2009). A
similar study from 2008 emphasizes the impact dispositional factors can have on nontraditional
students' decision to attend postsecondary school, as well as their success throughout their school
careers, with these factors having a higher impact on certain racial groups, as well as female
students across the board (Hudson, Towey, & Shinar, 2008).
Financial Constraints
A significant factor not covered in Keith's article is the financial barriers faced by most
postsecondary students. According to Hart (2003), more than half of today's students are
independent, nontraditional students, who face all of the financial challenges of traditional
students, "...but they also often have family responsibilities. In addition to their own children,
some of whom may be college students too, many older students are responsible for their aging
parents as well" (p. 2). According to a 2007 study from Concordia University, financial issues
are not only one of the primary factors relating to nontraditional students decision to attend
postsecondary school, but they can also be a major factor in both graduation rates and in the
linear path to graduation, "...usually through a need for time extensions to meet the requirements
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
6
for program completion" (Bye, Pushkar, & Conway, 2007, p. 2). The impact of financial issues
on nontraditional students' decision to attend postsecondary school is further underscored by
King (2003), whose study found low-income nontraditional students were the least likely to
make the choice to attend postsecondary school and the least likely to persist until completing
their degrees. These financial issues are exacerbated by a financial aid system primarily geared
towards traditional students, according to Nicholas (2008), who states, "Nontraditional students
are usually not eligible to apply for financial assistance programs such as scholarships,
assistantships, tuition waivers and student loans, and this makes financial hardship one of the
bigger barriers for the nontraditional student" (p. 1).
Positive Motivators
According to the research, nontraditional students also share a number of positive
motivators that impact their choice to return to postsecondary school. For example a study by
Chao and Good (2004) offers the idea that, "Nontraditional students...reported that hopefulness
motivated their efforts related to financial concerns, career development, relationships, and life
transitions...Hence, they sought their college education as a means of improving their situation in
the future" (p. 4-5). Similarly, a study in the Journal of College Counseling concluded that the
three reasons most offered by nontraditional students who choose to return to college are,
"...career, self-improvement, and family, in that order" (Bauman et al., 2004, p. 3). Other
significant but less researched factors and motivators include the opportunity for collaboration,
students' self-image, and life-changing events (Jinkens, 2009). A 2006 study also offered selfefficacy and family support as two of the main factors for female nontraditional students,
indicating that different demographic groups may have different motivators relating to their
decision to attend postsecondary school (Quimby & O’Brien, 2006). An additional set of
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
7
motivators in nontraditional students is their preference for nontraditional (distance) schooling
and their tendency to enjoy classes, homework, and the learning process than their traditional
counterparts (Wei, 2007). The preponderance of the evidence suggests that nontraditional
students differ substantially from their traditional counterparts; it therefore behooves us to better
understand their motivators, both positive and negative.
The Methodology of this Study
Data Generation Activities
The primary form of data generation designed to gather subject feedback was through
semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with ten non-traditional students who fit
into one of three categories; students who were enrolled in post-secondary school, students who
were in the process of enrolling in post-secondary school, and students who had decided not to
enroll in a post-secondary educational institutions. The structure of the interview was kept loose
rather than rigid, allowing the subjects to explain in their own words what initially attracted them
to post-secondary schooling, what their fears and goals were, what their preconceptions of the
enrollment, financial aid, and learning processes were, and how these preconceptions affected
their decisions to attend post-secondary school. The only structure to the interview was an
attempt to keep subjects on the subject matter of the interview. Questions were used to elicit
further information and details, though the questions differed based upon the progress and
information provided by each subject. Follow-up questions were designed to elicit information
regarding how the subjects' preconceptions meshed with the reality of enrollment process and
with actual attendance in classes, where applicable. The final stage of the interviews was a series
of questions designed to elicit a response on the feelings of success or failure based upon the
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
8
subjects' decision to either attend or not attend, as well as an attempt to understand each subjects'
preconceptions of being prepared or unprepared to meet the challenges of enrollment and of
attending classes, and whether or not these preconceptions were fulfilled.
Data Analysis
A modified version of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method was used to analyze the data
provided by the interviews. Significant statements were drawn from data sources, then were
culled for repetitive statements, then similar statements were combined to develop a list of nonrepetitive statements with little or no overlap. The data was organized into a table designed to
display emergent themes, then further broken down by the concepts indicated by important
words, phrases, ideas, and key observations from the interviews. Finally, the data was sieved for
the essence of the experiences of the subjects, which are represented in the final word tables.
Table 1
Emergent themes
1. Financial fears and concerns.
2. Social and family conflicts.
3. Intrapersonal concerns.
4. Institutional concerns.
5. Academic concerns.
6. Financial motivators.
7. Social motivators.
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
Table 2
Financial fears and concerns
1. I can't afford college.
2. I don't know anything about financial aid.
3. I can't work and attend classes.
4. I don't think I qualify for student loans:
a. Bad credit or no credit.
b. Loans in collection (Private or public).
5. I've heard bad things about financial aid (Federal student loans).
6. I can't pay for necessary supplies or support:
a. Child care.
b. Rent/bills (working and attending school).
c. Computer.
d. Books, school supplies, etc.
7. I don't think I will qualify for any scholarships or grants.
Table 3
Social and family conflicts
1. I can't handle my kids and school.
2. My significant other doesn't like me to spend too much time on the computer.
3. If I start school, I will have to give up another aspect of my life.
4. Family emergencies have made me drop out of school before.
9
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
Table 4
Intrapersonal concerns
1. I'm not smart enough to finish school.
a. Only have a GED.
b. Bad at a specific subject (primarily math, often writing)
c. Failed out of post-secondary school before.
2. Fear of failure (personal fear and fear of humiliation)
3. Fear of the unknown.
4. I'm too old to go back to school.
5. No-one in my family has ever gone to post-secondary school.
6. I won't fit in or will be looked down on (non-traditional status)
7. I didn't like school previously (pre- or post-secondary).
Table 5
Institutional concerns
1. I don't know how to enroll.
2. I don't know what I want to do when I graduate.
a. College vs. vocational
b. Possible major
3. I wouldn't know what classes to take.
4. My high school didn't prepare me for college.
10
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
5. I've had problems with post-secondary schools before (often for-profit
institutions)
6. School takes too long.
Table 6
Academic Concerns
1. I'm not good at school.
2. I can't do (math/writing/research).
3. I've failed school before (pre- and post-secondary).
4. I hate to read/am a slow reader.
5. My high school didn't prepare me for college.
6. I don't know how to use a computer.
Table 7
Financial motivators
1. I want to make more money (by far and away the most-often stated).
2. I want a job with benefits/retirement.
3. I want a job with a future.
4. I'm tired of living paycheck to paycheck.
5. I want to be able to buy a house/car.
6. I don't want to depend on government assistance.
11
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
12
Table 8
Social motivators
1. I want to be respected.
2. I want a better life for my children.
3. I want my family to be proud of me.
4. I want to be the boss.
5. I will be the first in my family to go to college.
6. I want to travel.
Table 9
Essence: Negative Factors
The subjects of the study had many preconceived ideas regarding the enrollment process,
financial aid, and academics. They also had quite legitimate family and social concerns,
as well as a number of psychological barriers to even attempting post-secondary
schooling, much less succeeding. The majority of the subjects felt unprepared for the
process of choosing and applying for a school, and knew little or nothing about the
financial aid system, other than what they had seen on television or heard from friends.
The subjects' preconceptions about the difficulty of post-secondary classes, their fears of
being dropped into classes they wouldn't be able to pass, their concerns for self-image,
and their previous negative experiences at either secondary or post-secondary schools
presented substantial barriers to their initial decisions to attend post-secondary school as
non-traditional students. The simple reality of some of the financial barriers social and
family conflicts also made the decision to attend a post-secondary institution a difficult
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
13
and complex decision. The two strongest negative factors broached by the majority of the
subjects were financial concerns and simple fear of the unknown or of failure. While
those that chose to attend post-secondary school found many of these fears to be either
unfounded, or found that solutions were already in place for many of these fears, some of
the factors, particularly financial and family concerns, continued to play a role in their
decision to continue each semester. Most of those who chose not to attend expressed
regret for their decisions, but indicated that the negative factors substantially outweighed
the positive factors, at least in their opinions.
Table 10
Essence: Positive motivators
While the subjects shared substantially more negative factors than positive motivators, the
majority of the subjects felt the positive motivators outweighed the negative factors in
terms of decision impact. Every single subject of the study stated the importance of
making more money as one of their primary motivators, though with different long-term
goals: Some wanted to simply have more money, some wanted to be able to save for
retirement before it was too late, many spoke about the importance of making more
money to build a better life for their families, and several wanted to make more money to
be able to travel and experience other places and cultures. A number of the subjects also
mentioned the importance of finding a career that offered benefits, particularly medical
insurance. Many of the subjects also spoke on the subject of earning the respect of their
families, of personal pride, and more than half of the subjects mentioned being the first in
their families to either attend or finish post-secondary schooling. While financial impact
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
14
was by far and away the strongest motivator in the study, the strength of feeling held by
many of the subjects on personal and familial pride from choosing to attend school was a
strong secondary factor, and one mentioned as a major regret by those who decided not to
attend post-secondary schooling.
Table 11
Essence: Decision-making
Each of the subjects in this study had to make a similar decision; whether or not to attend postsecondary schooling. Many of the subjects shared similar preconceptions, fears, and
personal issues, and the majority were not prepared for the academic, institutional, and
financial aid systems. In addition, several of the subject had previous negative
experiences at either private or public post-secondary schools, and the majority of the
subjects did not consider their secondary schooling to be a positive experience overall.
However, all of the subjects, even those who chose not to attend, shared a similar dream
as well; making more money, building a better life for themselves and their families, and
making their friends and families proud of them. When it came time to make the final
decision, the majority of the subjects believed the possibility of achieving this dream
outweighed the possibilities inherent in failure. Those that chose not to attend expressed
regret, and several of them spoke of reconsidering the decision, though none of those who
chose not to attend initially have enrolled in any sort of post-secondary program since
their decision not to attend. In the long run, hope for a better future outweighed fear of
the unknown for most of the subjects, and for those that chose not to attend, all regretted
their decision in part.
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
15
Discussion
The results of this study fell in line generally with the results of the literature review;
however, there were also marked differences. Several of the positive motivators in the study, for
example, fell in line with the idea that, "Nontraditional students...reported that hopefulness
motivated their efforts related to financial concerns, career development, relationships, and life
transitions...Hence, they sought their college education as a means of improving their situation in
the future" (Chao & Good, 2004, p. 4-5). However, the need for both external respect and selfrespect featured highly in the data gathered, and was not mentioned as a powerful personal
motivator in the literature review. Similarly, while many of the negative factors in the study were
indicated by the review of the literature, such as financial constraints, institutional concerns, and
academic concerns, the literature review failed to measure the depth to which the subjects'
preconceptions about these areas colored their decision in relation to the reality of these areas.
One specific example mentioned by several subjects was their fear of being placed into classes
they were completely unprepared for. Many of the subjects were not highly aware of either the
standardized placement testing system or the prerequisites necessary to enter more challenging
classes. Another factor the literature review failed to uncover was the importance previous
academic experiences had played in the decision to return to school. Students who had bad
experiences previously, particularly those who had bad experiences at public or private postsecondary schools in the past, were less likely to return and had greater fear of failure, based on
their previous experiences.
There are several areas of focus this study has uncovered that may be the basis for future
studies. One of these is how preconceptions, particularly those based on television shows,
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
16
movies, and other media play into the decision to return as a non-traditional student. Another
area for future study may be the role that college preparation in high school plays in the decision
to return. All of the subjects who chose not to return, and several of the subjects who chose to
return after a difficult decision period, mentioned they felt their secondary schools had illprepared them for either the institutional or academic aspects of post-secondary schools. Another
factor that bears future study is the effect that being the first post-secondary student in a family
has on the decision to attend as a non-traditional student, both as a positive and a negative factor.
These students had greater negative preconceptions, often unfounded; however, they also felt a
stronger need to go to college, both to earn respect and to provide an example for their children
and their families.
There are several limitations to this study that bear review, as well as bearing fruit for
possible future studies. The first limitation is the size of the subject group, limited by necessity to
ten. This size group may not statistically be deemed an accurate cross-representation of the total
populace. The second limitation, and one which may bear further study, is the relative homogeny
of the subject group. By necessity, all of the subjects were drawn from a pool that either
originated in, or still resides in, Southeast Alaska. While this limitation means this group is not
representative of students nation- or world-wide, there are indications that this group varies
somewhat from the norm, based on the results of this study versus the literature review. This
difference may be worthy of future study, as the target group represents a disadvantaged
minority group to a large extent, as well as for the information this may reveal about other
similar groups. This study also cannot, due to temporal constraints, follow the subjects through
to the completion of their programs, so the success rate of the subjects has not been measured.
The success rate of these students in relation to their preparedness for post-secondary schooling,
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
17
their preconceptions, and their motivators may be worthy of study, as a method of raising
retention rates.
This phenomenological study has verified some of the information offered in the
literature, while offering up further avenues for research in other areas. This subject bears further
study due to, among other reasons, the direct applicability of the information in the study in the
post-secondary school arena. Further research on this subject may increase enrollment rates,
increase retention rates, and in the long-term, help a disadvantaged group gain access to a world
of education that can allow them to build better lives, and to help build a better system of
education for all students, traditional and non-traditional alike.
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
18
References
Bauman, S. S., Wang, N., DeLeon, C. W., Kafentzis, J., Zavala-Lopez, M., & Lindsey, M. S.
(2004, Spring). Nontraditional students’ service needs and social support resources: A
pilot study. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 13-17. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.
Bye, D., Pushkar, D., & Conway, M. (2007, February). Motivation, interest, and positive affect
in traditional and nontraditional undergraduate students. Adult Education Quarterly,
57(2), 141-158. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
Chao, R., & Good, G. E. (2004, Spring). Nontraditional Students’ Perspectives on College
Education: A Qualitative Study. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 5-12. Retrieved
from EBSCOhost database.
Giancola, J. K., Grawitch, M. J., & Borchert, D. (2009, May). Dealing with the stress of college:
A model for adult students. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(3), 246-263. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost database.
Hart, N. K. (2003, Spring). Best Practices in Providing Nontraditional Students with Both
Academic and Financial Support. New Directions for Higher Education, 99-107.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
Hudson, R., Towey, J., & Shinar, O. (2008, March). Depression and racial/ethnic variations
within a diverse nontraditional college sample. College Student Journal, 42(1), 103-114.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
Jinkens, R. C. (2009, December). Nontraditional students: Who are they?. College Student
Journal, 43(4), 979-987. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
IMPACTORS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
19
Keith, P. M. (2007, December). Barriers and Nontraditional Students’ Use of Academic and
Social Services. College Student Journal, 41(4), 1123-1127. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.
King, J. E. (2003, Spring). Nontraditional attendance and persistence: The cost of students’
choices. New Directions for Higher Education, 69-84. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). The Condition of Education 2011 (NCES 2011012). Retrieved from IES National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov
Nicholas, S. (2008, June). Nontraditional older students. Research Starters Education [serial
online.], 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
Philibert, N., Allen, J., & Elleven, R. (2008, August). Nontraditional students in community
colleges and the model of college outcomes for adults. Community College Journal of
Research & Practice, 32(8), 582-596. doi: 10.1080/10668920600859913
Quimby, J. L., & O’Brien, K. M. (2006, Fall). Predictors of well-being among non-traditional
female students with children. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(4), 451-460.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
Ross-Gordon, J. (2011, Winter). Research on Adult Learners: Supporting the Needs of a Student
Population that Is No Longer Nontraditional. Peer Review, 13(1), 26-29. Retrieved from
EBSCOHost database.
Wei, F. W. (2007). Teaching above and beyond traditional students’ needs: A comparison
between traditional and nontraditional college students’ expectations of classroom
communication (Conference Paper). Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.