Comeback Player of the Year: A Conceptual Model on Former Student-Athletes Returning as Adult Students

Abstract

Student-athletes endure a myriad of academic challenges upon entering higher education that increase the likelihood of them leaving school without completing their degree. Thousands of student-athletes fail to receive their degree after completing their athletic eligibility (), and many of them return as adult students with significantly different life responsibilities. With adult student enrollment on the rise (), “re-recruiting” these former student-athletes can be crucial for the university. The purpose of this article is to summarize the literature on (a) challenges student-athletes face that may lead to them leaving higher education without a degree, (b) why these former student-athletes come back to higher education, (c) what challenges they encounter when coming back to college, and (d) recommendations on the services and support available from both the university’s athletic department and academic affairs.

Keywords:

• Student-athlete
• adult student
• college athletics
• student persistence