LINN -- Non-traditional students are those who are older than the typical 18 to 24 year old college students.

At Linn State Technical College, non traditional students make up 16 percent of the college's student body. That's up from 11 percent last year.

Davidson LeTang is one of those students.

He's 50 years old and works at the Cargill Plant in California, Mo. He has 27 years of experience in several different industrial plants, but he needs a degree to earn a promotion and more money.

Come December he'll have two degrees in hand, one in industrial electricity, the other in electric power generation technology.

But Davidson has had to make plenty of sacrifices along the way.

"I don't play golf, I don't fish or any of those activities for the past two years because everything has to do with school," says Davidson.

He still works full-time, on the overnight shift at Cargill. He then goes to school for eight hours a day, then sleeps just over three hours before its back to work.

Davidson's two years back in the classroom have not been a piece of cake.

"The hardest part is the general education part because I graduated from high school in 1976," says Davidson. "So learning algebra and physics was like Greek to me."

But in the end, Davidson says it has all been worth it. He has maintained a 3.6 grade point average and is on the Dean's List.

"I wouldn't like to do it again, but most definitely, I wouldn't discourage anybody from doing it," says Davidson. "You have to have a focused mind. If you're focused, you can do it, anybody can."

"The job market's getting very competitive and I needed the extra skills that I could gain from going to college," says Keith Feeler.

Keith, who is 45, knows how Davidson feels. He has worked at the family lumber company for years, but business has decreased lately.

Keith will graduate in September from Linn State with a construction and civil technology degree.

He believes he and other non-traditional students have a leg up on the younger students.

"You know, we've been in the workforce already, you know, and we know what it takes and we know what people are expecting," says Keith. "Its not just a party anymore, we're out here to make a living."

Keith says his time back in a classroom has also changed the way his teenage daughters think about college.

"To me it wasn't as important," says Keith. "I was ready to get out of school whenever I got out of high school. I was ready to get out of school for a while. But I didn't see the value of what an education can give me and give my family."

Both men said they envy their fellow younger students, many of whom do not have the responsibility of family and a job along with their school work.