Situated Motivation for an Undergraduate Degree: A Phenomenology of Nontraditional College Students' Lived Experiences

Nontraditional college students face unique challenges as they pursue an undergraduate degree. Previous research has shown that nontraditional students withdraw from their undergraduate programs at rates significantly higher than that of traditional college students. This research has suggested that the numerous roles and responsibilities they manage make it difficult to persist in completing an undergraduate degree. Using situated expectancy value theory (SEVT), this phenomenology explored the perceptions of the lived experiences of motivation for pursuing and persisting in completing an undergraduate degree among seven nontraditional college students at a public university in the eastern central region of the United States. Participants discussed past and current lived experiences that reflected the connections between their identities and their expectancies and values for the degree, specifically focusing on the utility value. Participants also described the importance of timing and circumstances, the importance of supportive connections, and their experiences with generativity. Findings suggest that given the right situations and the proper support, nontraditional students can persist in completing an undergraduate degree.