Defining Non-Traditional...

OTNTS is an advocating unit for adult and non-traditional students. The term "non-traditional" is used to identify students who have personal and professional demands on their lives that make it challenging to meet their academic goals.

At Rutgers-New Brunswick, a nontraditional student is defined as an undergraduate student enrolled in a degree-granting school and meets at least one of the following criteria:

• has been out of HS for 4+ years at the time of first undergraduate registration;
• has had at least a 2-year interruption in their undergraduate education;
• is a veteran or active duty military service member;
• is enrolled in a RUNB off-campus or on-line bachelor’s degree completion program;
• is pursuing post-baccalaureate studies, primarily in undergraduate courses;
• is a parent/caregiver and/or
• must take less than 12 credits due to significant non-academic commitments.*

*Significant non-academic commitments may include:  being self-supporting, having to work full-time (34 hours a week or more based on need), having financial dependents.