Introduction to the Special Section—Breaking With Tradition: Effective Counseling Services for Nontraditional Students

Abstract

This collection of articles represents the first time that the Journal of College Counseling (JCC) has published articles based on a topical theme. Nontraditional Students was selected for a special section theme because most college counseling research continues to describe student populations in generic terms, perpetuating the stereotype that student body composition is homogeneous. However, nontraditional students currently compose at least 40% and as much as 70% of all undergraduate students nationwide, depending on how the term nontraditional is defined. Nontraditional students are typically described as those who are older than 24 years of age and who may have dependents, be financially independent, and attend college on a part-time basis. However, nontraditional students can also be those who are the first in their family to attend college (i.e., first-generation college students), students of color, students with disabilities, and students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. A walk across nearly any college campus in North America will reveal historically unprecedented diversity. Current economic conditions, ongoing changes in the world of work, admissions criteria that account for students' backgrounds, and the integration of distance learning with classroom instruction have all helped to increase the numbers of nontraditional students enrolled in higher education. As college counselors, we need to understand the students we serve so that we may provide effective services for them. Traditional forms of counseling work for traditional students, but we now need to reassess the value of the services that we provide, taking into consideration the particular needs and issues of new college environments. It should be noted that large numbers of nontraditional students are a new issue only for 4-year colleges and universities. Historically, community colleges have played an important role in providing affordable and convenient education as well as alternative courses of study to students who were considered nontraditional. Although that trend continues, 4-year colleges and universities now also face the opportunities and challenges associated with increased nontraditional student enrollment. Unfortunately, although some colleges and universities have seized the opportunity to increase tuition dollars by actively recruiting nontraditional students, some of those same institutions have been criticized for not providing adequate services to retain them. Counselors and administrators at 4-year colleges and universities may therefore benefit from consulting with counter-parts at community colleges, sharing ideas and working toward better serving nontraditional college students. In doing so, college counselors can consider implementing several potentially beneficial interventions. Although nontraditional students are amazingly diverse themselves, they typically have needs for assistance with orientation, financial aid, child care, remedial course work, and/or career counseling. …