Difficulties of non-traditionals
The real world can be daunting to those who've never been in it.
Some people may not realize this, but being a non-traditional college student may be one of the hardest experiences in someone’s life. And when I refer to non-traditional, I’m referring to that rare breed of student: independent, with a family, a mortgage, a full-time job. Actually, you need not to even include to full-time job. Just consider someone like myself – a husband and a father – those alone being a full-time commitment. Then add in a full-time job, and we’ll sprinkle a full-time education on top. So go ahead and work three full-time jobs, all three requiring a lot out of you, and you will soon get a taste of their life.
The typical traditional student is much younger, still considered a dependent. Many of the permanent concepts of real life, including the real responsibilities, are not yet on the plate. Their school might be paid by family, by scholarships, or through student loans. They may work a part time job – wait staff is probably the number one college job – and the rest of the time is either in class, studying, or hanging out and having fun.
Non-traditionals, not so much. They generally don’t have the option of hanging out and having fun. The concepts of the real world are real to them. The bills are real, the responsibilities are real. The traditional student concept of owing for college “oh, that’s in the future,” doesn’t apply: they see that amount and they KNOW what that costs.
Non-traditional students are a very important mix into the college community too. While the younger students may bring in fresher minds (and bodies), non-traditional students usually bring in a ground sense that is required to survive the real world. They provide a balance to the free-living lifestyle of so many college students.
I’m writing this because I’m a non-traditional student, I understand the difficulties first hand. The stress of waking up early, putting in 40, 50, even 60+ hours a week, dragging myself to class in the evening, doping myself with steady streams of caffeine half the night in order to get my homework done. How to spend so much time away from your family, while doing everything you can to hold it together. I also know how it begins to wear you down, slowly at first, then eventually depleting your energy, yet still fighting on to get it over and done with.
And it surprises me that there are not more financial options out there for non-traditionals. Sure, there are some scholarships out there specifically for non-traditionals, but not too much else. In the FAFSA application, we might be treated as dependant students, but generally, we are treated the same as traditionals. We don’t have parents to help, and we didn’t spend the last 18 years of our lives planning on sending ourselves to college.
It also shocks me, given the number of MBA grads who completed their MBA’s at night, while working full-time. Every one I’ve talked to who went down this path made many points to which I can easily relate. Working full-time while doing it may make you stronger, but after a couple of years it wears you out. Grades drift down towards the end, and we are thankful for just getting through it alive. But for those MBA students, they had the easy option of calling it done.
But what about students like myself. Finishing up at a 2 year, getting ready to begin my 4 year this fall. Hopefully early entry into the graduate program. By the time it is all said and done, I will have been through this for around 8 years. Yet what extra help will I get for this? Minimal at best.
I think it is time we start making some changes for non-traditional students. The government (and society) has incentives to do this too. Let’s take people who were in the workforce earning X dollars, people are productive members of society who already understand the realities of society, and get them a college education. Now you have people earning 2X, 3X, 4X, even 5X, who bring in extremely valuable skill sets not found in the typical college grad. The government gets more taxes; society gains more knowledgeable, productive members. Companies get well trained employees that are naturally more adept at being responsible and is already used to making tough decisions that affect others.
What I suggest is a program specifically for non-traditional students. Students who are independent and receive no financial help from their parents. Students who have families of their own. Students who own their own home or have been long time renters. Students who are working full-time and have a history of working full-time. Why can’t the government subsidize a percentage of their income, provide health insurance benefits, pay for school or mostly pay for school. Not off of standardized numbers. Based upon how much their earn compared to how much they pay out.
Provide these students an opportunity to reduce their working hours, to help even up the playing field with traditional students. Non-traditionals are proud, we take care of ourselves, but we wouldn’t mind the hand up. Can’t we get a break?
