Hey Neist,
I am one of those not-so-traditional applicants myself. I returned to graduate school after working for a few years. I am several years older and have had some different life experiences compared to most people in my program just embarking on graduate studies. In talking with my advisor about the GRFP, I was essentially told not to hold my breath because NSF is biased towards younger students and since I wasn't a kid fresh out of undergrad, my chances were low...