Formerly known as Adult Students on Campus, the newly named Non-Traditional Students at Iowa State are attempting to restructure and reorganize their group.

Non-traditional students are students who are not traditional — meaning any student who did not graduate from high school and immediately enroll in college.

The name changed because “traditional students were always saying, ‘We’re adult students, too,'” Larry Bednar, president of NTS and a undeclared graduate student, said.

Bednar said a “non-traditional” student is not a person who takes a leave of absence, but someone who has life experience.

The Registrar’s Office officially declares any student who is over the age of 25 a non-traditional student, Bednar said. But the NTS board will try to change their charter in the upcoming months to include younger “non-traditional” students, including young married couples and parents.

“We’re very diverse,” said Dian Butler, NTS treasurer and a junior in journalism and international studies.

She said NTS also includes students who are coming back to college, students who got their high school education through their G.E.D. and students who previously were in the military.

“We’re a resource center and a support group for people who are coming back to school,” Butler said.

NTS, which Butler said had between 50 and 100 members last semester, is trying to launch a Web site, recruit more members and plan upcoming social events for spring.

Bednar said although NTS encourages non-traditional students without children to join, “We’re not a dating service. We’re a social group and a service help group.”

“Having an organization [like this] on campus helps other non-traditional students feel more comfortable, since they can share similar past experiences,” Butler said.

NTS will meet next Thursday at 4:45 p.m. in Room B6 of the Memorial Union. Their office is also located in the MU, in G39 of the East Student Office Space.