Connection: Never Too Late

FOR THE RECORD: October 19, 1999: Story wrong: Eastern Washington University’s undergraduate population consists of 61 percent at age 22 and younger, and 39 percent at 23 and older. An information box on Sunday’s Connections page reversed the percentages.

Consistent with the national trend, colleges and universities in Eastern Washington and North Idaho have seen an increased number of older students in recent years.

The number of nontraditional students are going up in Idaho just as they are nationwide, said Hal Godwin, vice president of student affairs for the University of Idaho.

Godwin attributes the increase, in part, to a strong economy and the fact that some students will stagger their education over several years to make it more affordable.

“Some students directly from high school can go to work for awhile,” said Godwin, citing a low unemployment rate that has allowed teenage graduates to find decent paying jobs. “Some who come to college may stop out to control costs.”

Eastern Washington University, meanwhile, has a long history of serving nontraditional students. The Cheney-based school offers programs in Spokane to meet the needs of working adults with evening and weekend classes.

“In Spokane, we have a very special approach to accommodate the students who work downtown and they tend to be older,” said William Ponder, Eastern’s associate vice president for enrollment management.

However, Eastern expects that its future growth of traditional students will outpace that of older students, as it works to strengthen its Cheney campus, which offers a traditional college setting.

Whitworth College in Spokane, a private institution, has seen a slight increase in older students, but its focus remains on the younger, traditional student, said Gary Whisenand, Whitworth’s registrar.

About 2-1/2 years ago, Whitworth began offering a special program to help working adults complete their degrees, which enrolls a couple dozen students each year.

This graphic appeared with the story: Non-traditional students in the Inland Northwest

The percentage of undergraduate college students age 23 and older varies from 16 percent at Whitworth to 66 percent at EWU.

22 and younger 23 and older

WSU 72% 28%

Idaho 53% 47%

EWU 39% 61%

Gonzaga 72% 28%

Whitworth 84% 16% Source: Cited colleges Staff graphic: Vince Grippi