Mississippi Universities Expand Net to Get Nontraditional Students
JACKSON, Miss.
In his distinctive coat and tie, Corey Moore is often mistaken for a professor walking around Mississippi Valley State University.
Moore, 31, moves about the Itta Bena campus with a determined spirit to earn a degree in public administration, much like he did during a decade in the Naval Reserve.
“I found my way to Valley by divine intervention,” Moore said. “I felt I could be a student who could enlighten and help to inspire the more traditional students.”
Schools, public and private, are developing programs to attract students such as Moore. Institutions are recognizing the benefits of having nontraditional students, classified as students 25 and older, on campus for their leadership and the bottom line.
Enrollment of nontraditional students increased 17.8 percent from 1999-2004. The state College Board said 11,847 nontraditional students were enrolled in the eight state universities last year.
“When I attended school several years ago, I was not as driven as I am now,” said Moore, a junior.
