Retaining First-Year Non-Traditional Online Higher Education Students: A Qualitative Exploratory Study
By Danielle Kish, Ed.D.,聽Louise Underdahl, Ph.D.
The additional project team members: 聽Pamayla Darbyshire, DHA; Chunfu Cheng, Ed.D;聽 Nicole Gulley, Ed.D; Jacquelyn Bradway, Ph.D.
The Study Aim and Question
The goal of this study was to better understand factors contributing to first-year non-traditional online student retention challenges at online higher education institutions.听 Objectives included identifying support strategies tailored to the needs of online students to promote self-confidence, strengthen self-efficacy, and improve performance and retention.听
Non-traditional students are over the age of 24, financially independent, and may have a family.听 National statistics indicate online retention is lower than comparable on-campus programs, with some research linking low online retention to high representation of non-traditional students who are less likely to graduate regardless of studying online or on-campus.听
Traditionally, researchers have relied upon Tinto鈥檚 seminal work, positing that students needed to develop social and academic integration with college communities.听 Since the Tinto model addressed the experience of on-campus students, its applicability to online environments is limited.听 Our study contributed insights from first-year non-traditional online students on how online higher education institutions may increase retention by developing support systems tailored to their needs.听 The central Research Question was:
How can online higher education institutions improve retention of non-traditional online students?
Who We Studied
The target population consisted of 2,138 students enrolled in a general studies program at an online higher education institution in the southwestern United States. Inclusion criteria were self-identified by study participants: Enrolled in BA-level classes, age was 24 years or older, had less than 36 completed course credit hours, and enrolled from April 1, 2023, through April 1, 2024. Data collection began after earning IRB approval.听聽
The data collection platform incorporated SurveyMonkey, with demographic and open-ended questions; raw qualitative data from questions 13 through 20 were transferred to NVivo, version 15, for thematic and word cloud analyses.
What We Learned
Qualitative data yielded thematic and word cloud analyses, with three primary themes:
Financial Aid
Funding higher education is a stressor for students, and when they begin a program or course without understanding the financial implications, stress may increase, and retention may be affected. Some students were unaware of funding expectations, creating an additional challenge before and during their program. Students expressed concerns that scholarship options were limited. Funding access and excess funding may allow students to explore technology and software updates while preparing and continuing distance learning. To prevent confusion surrounding financial expectations, proactive advising should include funding expectations relating to the Pell Grant, federal student loans, and resources relating to institutional and non-institutional scholarships.
Time
Students with good time management skills can complete schoolwork successfully whether they have chosen a light or heavy course load (Xavier & Meneses, 2022). When some participants realized that time became a factor that led to a need for planners and an exclusion of any social interactions, additional time management strategies were needed.听 Non-traditional students entering the educational environment are transitioning many aspects of their life-work-education balance, often adding a new role to their daily responsibilities. Again, proactive advising allows higher educational representatives to explain the time commitment with a student, create realistic expectations, and a solid foundation for retaining the student.
Mentality
The definition of student success in a higher education institution is often measured by student retention. Participants identified student success as having a GPA within acceptable limits for continued enrollment, completing tasks, and graduating from the program. Understanding the material, achieving good grades, and a sense of accomplishment were also important factors to the participants.听 Higher education institutions can work with students through proactive advising, identify the students' priorities and goals for their educational journey, and provide resources to work with them throughout the program.
Conclusion
Non-traditional online students represent a diverse and growing population, and understanding their characteristics, challenges, and strategies for success is crucial for designing effective online learning environments to meet those needs. The data suggest that while online learning provides essential flexibility for non-traditional students, institutions should consider both technological access and comprehensive support services in their program design to effectively serve this growing population of non-traditional learners. Research suggests potentially positive retention results from higher quality video and artificial intelligence chatbots.听 Online institutions must recognize their role in bridging the gap between traditional models of student retention and the unique needs of online learners. A one-size-fits-all approach to retention strategies is ineffective.
Resources and References
Xavier, M., & Meneses, J. (2022). Persistence and time challenges in an open online university: A case study of the experiences of first-year learners. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19, 31.
Danielle R. Kish, Ed.D.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danielle R. Kish, EdD, MSP, MBA earned the doctorate in 2023 from the 果冻视频 College of Doctoral Studies; her dissertation, "Understanding Online Retention in Non-Traditional Higher Education Students: 聽A Delphi Study," highlighted retention challenges and opportunities for improvement through research.听 Her journal article "Recommendations and Best Practices to Increase Online Student Retention" will be published in the September 2025 issue of the Journal of Educators Online. This journal article was presented at the 2023 AECT International Convention (Division of Distance Learning) and earned DDL Best Proposal Award 2023.听In 2024, Dr. Kish participated in CEITR Research Labs as co-leader of team research on retaining non-traditional online students; results identified best practices to increase retention and were presented at the 2024 Knowledge Without Boundaries conference, 2024 AECT Virtual Conference, and 2024 International Leadership Association global conference in Chicago. 聽The Journal of Educators Online聽accepted the team's manuscript, "Retaining First-Year Non-Traditional Online Higher Education Students: A Qualitative Exploratory Study"聽in June 2025, pending revisions recommended by peer reviewers. Dr. Kish is currently employed with Arizona State University.听