FEMALE NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Current enrollment trends indicate that women now outnumber men in college enrollment among all racial/ethnic populations (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2002b, 2007), and that a large portion of these students are nontraditional (NT). Today, more than 73% of all students in undergraduate institutions are described as different from traditional college students (NCES, 2002b, 2007; St John & Tuttle, 2004; Wylie, 2005). Research on NT students suggests these students are more likely to be female (American Council on Education (ACE), 2004; Corrigan, 2003), a member of an ethnic or racial minority (ACE. 2004), and have limited resources for and knowledge of higher education's institutional practices and expectations. Consequently, they have more difficulty persisting in college (Corrigan, 2003; Pike & Kuh, 2006; Rankin & Reason, 2005). Their early and successful academic and social integration into the college environment is critical as the highest level of attrition occurs during the freshmen year (American College Testing (ACT), 2003; Duggan, 2001; NCES, 2002b; St. John & Tuttle, 2004; Tinto, 2000; Wylie, 2005). This investigation examined obstacles female nontraditional (FNT) students encounter as they enter and transition to college, described how they overcome them, explored background characteristics of those who persist, and looked at the relationship between having a career goal, motivation, and persistence. The qualitative case study focused on multiple cases within a bounded system. The study findings indicate that students who persist establish broad external networks of support, express confidence and goal clarity, increase self-efficacy, develop effective coping strategies, and learn to use institutional support systems. Findings did not support the strong positive influence of having a specific career goal, but did underscore the importance of career value.