From Delay to Degree

This qualitative study extends the research on postsecondary delay by examining the college experiences of six male nontraditional students from the North Texas area who purposefully postponed college education for 3 years after high school graduation to fulfill religious commitments. Unlike the majority of delayers, the participants successfully attained bachelor degrees within 4 years from their initial college enrollment. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s bioecological model of human development as a conceptual framework, four main themes emerged, which students credited for their college success: (a) reestablishing academic momentum, (b) overcoming financial challenges, (c) receiving institutional support, and (d) relying on personal development from delay activities.