Even the non-traditional students have their non-traditional counterparts. Call it non-traditional, squared.

The numbers of college students and professionals in online courses continues to steadily rise, far outnumbering the increase of students in 'traditional' courses. Some schools are not surprised by the numbers, but by the type of student usually found in these classes:

Combs, who also takes some face-to-face courses and online classes, is not the type of student distance-learning officials thought they'd attract when they began setting up their computer networks and video feeds. But the Miami County resident and thousands of students like her are defying the conventional wisdom, embracing technology and changing the face of online learning.

"We thought it would be adults flooding back to get their baccalaureate, and we do have some of those," said kate Carey, the Ohio Learning Network's executive director.

But the largest segments are community college students and existing students who are using distance learning to bolster their classroom schedules.

Given a choice between a classroom and a computer screen, it's an easy decision for thousands of students who opt for convenience over traditional structure.

(Photo Source: E-Learners Advisor)