Nontraditional students are the fastest-growing segment of the postsecondary population. About 41% of students are over 25, and nearly 12% are over 40. Previously, the bulk of financial aid went to traditional-age, usually full-time, students in degree programs. Today, however, the sheer numbers of nontraditional students, including distance learners, are changing the financial aid picture. Criteria for most federal grant and student loan programs include financial need, high school diploma or the equivalent certificate, regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program, U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and satisfactory academic progress. Bank lines of credit or home equity loans may be tax-deductible but risky alternatives. Employer assistance and tax credits are additional sources of assistance to nontraditional students. Many scholarship programs do not restrict by age; some are starting to create scholarships specifically for nontraditional students. Assistantships, internships, and work-study programs provide valuable work experiences while students earn some income. Other sources of assistance include state aid and veterans' educational benefit programs. Congress has recently lifted restrictions on financial aid for correspondence courses, and the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring demonstration programs trying innovative ways of providing financial aid for distance education. (An annotated bibliography of 34 pertinent publications constitutes the bulk of this document.) (MN)