Table 2 shows the percentages of all undergraduates with each nontraditional characteristic by type of institution and how the characteristics identified as nontraditional are interrelated. Some of the characteristics occur together by definition; for example, a single parent always has dependents and, at least for purposes of assessing eligibility for financial aid, is always considered to be financially independent. Therefore, a single parent will always have at least three nontraditional characteristics. Other nontraditional characteristics, such as full-time employment and part-time enrollment, occur together frequently, but not always: among students who worked full time, 73 percent attended part time.

Among students who were minimally nontraditional (had only one nontraditional characteristic), part-time attendance was the most common reason for being in this category (36 percent). Delayed enrollment (23 percent) and working full time (23 percent) were next. Most of the minimally nontraditional students were 24 years or younger (otherwise they would be financially independent, a characteristic of only 15 percent of minimally nontraditional students).

Among moderately nontraditional students (two or three nontraditional characteristics), 68 percent were financially independent, 64 percent attended part time, 52 percent worked full time, and 42 percent delayed enrollment. Relatively fewer had dependents (19 percent).

A large majority of highly nontraditional students (80 percent) had dependents. In addition, three-quarters or more were financially independent (as they would be automatically if they had dependents), attended part time, worked full time, and had delayed enrollment in postsecondary education.