An Educational Balancing Act: Understanding Black and Latinx Female Nontraditional Students' Journey to College Completion

• In Event: Intersecting With Race: Considerations in Working With Diverse Populations

Abstract

Nontraditional students have increasingly enrolled in postsecondary institutions (Ellis, 2019). This study explored how these students navigate postsecondary institutions by focusing on one of the most overlooked student populations: Black and Latinx female-nontraditional students (FNSs). Like their White counterparts, FNSs of color navigate postsecondary institutions while balancing multiple roles and responsibilities as students, workers, and primary care providers. However, FNSs of color must also attend to the additional burden of racism and discrimination. This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined the experiences of Black and Latinx FNS at a 4-year public college. Findings indicate a need to reimagine the profile of nontraditional students, examine how their various identities interact with existing educational structures, and further investigate intangible coping mechanisms like radical acceptance.

Author

• Erika Marte, New York University
  Presenting Author