What some schools have for nontraditional students - can you ask for them?

Talking points - what some schools offer nontraditional students - and what to look and ask for.

And yes, you CAN ask for these things. Your school may already have them, or they might be already thinking of providing these things. Your questions can only help. Plus, you can pick the best school for you, if you know what can be offered at each one. Here are some things schools are offering now:

#1. Special online pages to help Nontraditional students register, to find out how a nontraditional student is defined, and/or helping nontrads to learn what classes to take. Many colleges now have special pages and sections on their website especially to make it easier for nontraditional students to enroll. For example, Rutgers University's Nontraditional Student page (Elizabeth Kaiser David Degree program) explains that a special Dean will help nontrads, and talks about scholarship opportunities too. Make sure to search at your school's website to find what pages or programs are offered there.

#2. Special scholarships that are offered only to nontraditional, older, or commuter students. The U.S. News education pages have some links listed on their 2014 article here, including scholarships for Moms, an AAUW grant is available, also low-income scholarships.

You can find more scholarships at the Nontrad Scholarship pages One and Two also, including DAR scholarships and free scholarship search sites. My favorite sites here are Fastweb and the Dr. Torres Database, also known as the Fatomei site.

#3. Cutting edge nontraditional student benefits are starting to be available across the country. These benefits can include:
A. Special lockers for nontraditional students
B. Dedicated study areas or lounges, and Study Labs just for nontrads,
C. On-campus living apartments or special dorm rooms
D. Advisors who understand nontraditional student needs
E. Special classes at different times to help nontrads attend
F.  Choices - both Online and in-person classes
G. Career Services 
H. Nontraditional Student groups (such as O.W.L. groups or NTSO's just for students going back to school after a break.)
I.  Special Awards (such as Pinnacle and Spire awards)
J.  Membership in the National Nontraditional Student Society, ANTSHE
K. Veteran's Assistance

Some colleges offer Academic Amnesty now too, I found out. The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh does. They say, "Academic amnesty is an opportunity to remove grades from previous semesters from your grade-point average and start fresh." This sounds great.

How can you find resources and where to go to school? Check the State and Country Pages at the Nontraditional Student website. (scroll down for the map and links). If no special programs or schools are listed, send this information in when you find out about it.

Ask schools you are interested in attending if they offer special programs for nontraditional students too. The more nontrads ask for these special services, the more they will be added. Because people want and need them!

-Betsyanne

And here are some more of my Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site and blog 

Join Nontrads on Facebook  

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter 

Nontraditional students are students who are going back to school after a break.  They are going back to better their lives and the lives of their families, and go after their dreams. It is never too late to go back to school. Go, Nontrads!

#7 in a series: Are you bored with school? Want more fun? Try these things.

This posting is an Expanded continuation of a posting called: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

#7. School has become boring, or not fun at all.
The short answer I had on the original posting was: See if you can join a Club or Nontraditional Student group at your school. This might help.

It might. But you may not have a group there. Worse yet, you may have other reasons why school is not interesting to you anymore.

Are you having trouble with your classes? Maybe not. If your classes are boring, the good part of that is maybe you know what is going on and will get an A in each boring class. All you have to do is wait for that. And force yourself to attend class, sometimes easier said than done.

If it's become a duty, and you are having no fun at all, that is a really bad thing. It might make you quit if you don't do something about it. Luckily, there are more avenues for nontraditional students nowadays than there used to be. A study group might win a few friends for you (and better marks), but there are now OTHER groups that you might be able to join. Online nontrad groups are available too (see the bottom for these links) but actual Campus Clubs and Organizations are now more open than ever to all ages.

Is there a way you can make school more interesting? A Club may be just the ticket for that. Choose a club that really interests you. Love theater? Join the Theater Club. Or you might want to choose a Sorority or Fraternity. Yes, you heard right. Some now allow older students to join! (Of course, check first).

Try taking notes - - and asking questions of your teachers to make things more interesting. Find out if you can do any extra credit projects to fill up your time if you are bored. And if you decide to add a club to your activities, new friendships and an active social calendar will soon help your boredom - a LOT.

Here are some other past Nontrad Blog postings that might help you.

Study Groups for Nontraditional Students

On-Campus Clubs for the Nontraditional Student

and

10 Motivational Tips for the Non-Traditional Student

Here are the "Expanded answers to the Advice Posting so far:

#1: Were your grades great, or would you like a redo of them, nontraditional students?

#2: Not enough credits to graduate, CLEP, addition, accreditation, transfers, more.

#3.  Are you taking the courses you want to take? Or is it time to change course?

#4.  You don't know if you want to continue, for any reason. Can you continue on?

#5.  Are your student loans adding up too fast? 


#6. You may want to transfer schools... some things to think about.

Here is the original posting again you might like to check out: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

My next posting will talk about #8: You wanted A's, you got B's or C's.

Again, good luck this summer, whether you are in school, on vacation, at a job, or whatever you are choosing to do.

#5. You have Student Loans that seem to be adding up too fast. - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2014/05/more-tips-for-nontraditional-students.html#.U59gn6jGJox

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook, Nontrads on Yahoo, and Nontrads on Twitter