Non-Traditional Student Success in Post-Secondary Education The student population category referred to as non-traditional cuts a wide-swath. Depending on the criteria used for inclusion in this category, non-traditional students may be: Working or non-working adults, active military or veterans, enrolled part-time, returning from an absence from higher education or enrolling after having delayed entrance immediately after high-school, commuting, parents, or supporting other family members or dependents. (Perna, 2010; Wang & Pilarzyk,

Introduction Non-traditional students are students over the age of 25 in college. These students differ from the traditional young and naïve teenagers who go to college without much responsibilities. Their population has been growing rapidly from the late 90s to now, with more and more students taking evening classes, part-time classes and mini courses in college and juggling with unemployment or full employment to get by (Adebayour DO, 2014). In the

Pre-Course Program for Entry-Level Online Adult Students Distance education is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing segments of college and graduate level education. Many educational institutions with long histories of traditional classroom-based learning opportunities are expanding their programs to include distance-based learning via the Internet. In fact, many colleges and universities have invested heavily in their distance education programs. Courses for distance learners are offered in an array of

I saw self-directed learning in my mother as she set her goal, which was to complete each class, and to earn her degree. Motivation to Learn I felt like my mother was really motivated to learn. She was internally motivated because she had always wanted the opportunity to earn her degree in education and to become a classroom teacher. She often spoke about how she wanted to be able to help

TABLE OF CONTENTSPageLIST OF TABLES �������������������������.LIST OF FIGURES �������������������������.ChaptersI. INTRODUCTION �������������������.Overview ����������������������.Statement of the Problem ����������������.Purpose of the Study �������������������.Conceptual Framework ����������������.Research Questions �������������������.Rationale for the Study ����������������.Significance of the Study ����������������.Definition of Key Terms ����������������.Organization of the Study ����������������.Summary ����������������������.2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE �������������.Overview ����������������������.Background ����������������������.Conceptual Framework ����������������.Summary ����������������������..3. METHODOLOGY �������������������..Overview ����������������������.Research Design �������������������.Participants ����������������������..Instrumentation �������������������..Data Collection �������������������..Data Analysis ����������������������..Limitations of the Study �����������������Summary �����������������������.AbstractToday, education in the