This report examines "non-traditional" students in higher education and their characteristics, the types of institutions they attend, and their participation in federal student aid programs. Using data from the "National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey of 1986" the study compares five groups of "non-traditional"…

Nontraditional students are the fastest-growing segment of the postsecondary population. About 41% of students are over 25, and nearly 12% are over 40. Previously, the bulk of financial aid went to traditional-age, usually full-time, students in degree programs. Today, however, the sheer numbers of nontraditional students, including distance…