Nontraditional Students' Perspectives on College Education: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study explored nontraditional college students' perspectives on their college education. Forty‐three undergraduate students with an average age of 38 years completed 60‐minute structured interviews. Qualitative research methodology based on grounded theory was used in data synthesis. Results identified the central concept of hopefulness, which interacted with 5 other themes: (a) motivation, (b) financial investment, (c) career development, (d) life transition, and (e) support systems. Implications for counseling practice and future research are discussed.