Gwen Graham: “the face of the American undergraduate is changing, and there is a growing need to reflect this transformation in our…”

“the face of the American undergraduate is changing, and there is a growing need to reflect this transformation in our Federal education policy. In 2001, 47 percent of all undergraduates were considered non-traditional students. Despite this evolving landscape of higher education, many of our Nation's financial aid policies and student support services only address the financial needs and lifestyle demands of traditional students. Fewer and fewer of today's undergraduates come straight from high school, depend on parental financial support, and enroll as full-time students. Today's colleges and universities are filled with an unprecedented amount of non-traditional students. These students have a variety of responsibilities beyond their education that demand their time, attention, and income. Older scholars are in the unenviable position of having to balance school, work, family responsibilities, and the obligation of meeting the cost of higher education. Recent studies suggest that 39 percent of all undergraduates are 25 years or older and 27 percent have children. Further, 40 percent of undergraduates work full-time and 48 percent attend college part-time. Unfortunately, the needs of many devoted parents and hard working employees who attend college are not adequately supported by federal policy. For this reason, it is no surprise that non-traditional students are less likely than traditional students to complete a bachelors or associates degree.”