Nontraditional Student Engagement: Increasing Adult Student Success and Retention

Today, more than any other time in history, student demographics of college and university students in the United States are experiencing rapid and profound changes. Along with these increases in nontraditional student enrollment comes an increasing percentage of working nontraditional college students with a multitude of commitments that serve to create barriers to educational success that traditional student learners do not have in a traditional college setting. This article reviews findings from a study of nontraditional students’ perceptions of satisfaction and engagement in campus activities and explore reasons and motivations that influence their pursuit of further educational activity.