ANALYZING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS' GENDER AND RISK FACTORS FOR ENROLLMENT IN ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAMS.

The primary objective of this dissertation is to provide a definitive response to the question of whether certain demographic variables, such gender and age, may be utilized to forecast the likelihood of a student enrolling in online courses offered by universities. These results are derived from data gathered from the 2012 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12), which included almost 95,000 first-year college students in the US during the 2011–2012 school year. Gender and age are relevant risk variables for nontraditional students that determine whether they would enroll in online courses. College and university administrators hope this study will provide support for the premise that expanding online course offerings can help students graduate faster. To better understand trends in enrollment in distance learning programs or to collect data on the retention or success of students in alternative educational settings, more research is needed to dissect the nontraditional student risk index proposed by the National Centre for Educational Statistics and to include other variables such as ethnicity and GPA. The purpose of this research is to identify the gender-related risk factors that discourage nontraditional students from enrolling in online degree programs. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to identify important factors that impact enrollment choices, including financial restrictions, work-life balance, technical competency, and past academic experience. Women are more likely to mention family duties as a barrier, while males are more likely to mention employment-related obstacles, according to the results. Institutional support services, such as flexible scheduling, financial help, and technology resources, are also emphasized as crucial in the research for reducing the impact of these difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]