Nontraditional Students

While much of the attention on ageism focuses on bias and discrimination against older adults, young people also face ageism, including ageist language.² Young people are also unprotected by federal workplace anti-discrimination laws (which only protect older workers)³ even though a 2019 Glassdoor survey⁴ found more younger people experience ageism in the workplace than older people.

Take care not to imply that postsecondary students are not adults, as most are over the age of 18. By implying that students in the 18-24 age bracket aren’t adults, we subtly disempower and delegitimize these students’ voices and agency.

When discussing formerly or currently incarcerated students, be mindful of the language you use. Avoid terms that can perpetuate stigma like “ex-offender,” “criminal,” and “ex-con.” Instead, use phrases like “returning citizen” and “formerly incarcerated person.”

While there is no universal definition for who exactly counts as a “nontraditional student,” several characteristics related to socioeconomic status are often included. Young adults who are financially independent from their parents, those experiencing homelessness, and first-generation college students (students whose parents either did not attend or did not graduate from a postsecondary institution) may be considered nontraditional students.

Try to use language that is inclusive of all economic situations and backgrounds.

While we tend to think of college students as young adults often supported by their parents, students may also be parents themselves. Try to avoid discussing students and parents as two mutually exclusive categories.

One way to take care when discussing veterans and service members is to learn about the different types of military service, if this is unfamiliar to you.

Use “veterans and service members” instead of just “veterans” or “service members” unless you intend to refer to just the veteran or service member populations individually.