Being a mature student is an experience that presents so many positive opportunities for careers and personal development, but it is not without its own set of unique issues:
- Returning to studies after time away: Many mature students return to studies after working or raising children, which can present a difficult transition back into a learning environment, especially if these studies are part-time or distanced learning which mature students are statistically more likely to be.
- Funding and financial responsibilities: mature students are more likely to have childcare responsibilities, mortgages, and commute to university or college while still being funded at the same level as other full-time undergraduate students and therefore incur the associated financial and practical barriers to studying in higher education. (https://www.millionplus.ac.uk/documents/Forgotten_learners_building_a_system_that_works_for_mature_students.pdf https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HEPI-Policy-Note-5-What-affects-how-much-students-learn08_01_17.pdf )
- Balancing childcare and/or other caring responsibilities: 43% of mature students report having a child or adult dependent on them in some capacity, which means they have to manage these responsibilities around their learning and contact hours. (https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/docs/pdf/student-support/edi/nus-million-plus-never-too-late-to-learn-mature-students.pdf)
- Are more likely to have characteristics associated with disadvantaged and under-represented groups in higher education, including being disabled or coming from black and minority ethnic groups (https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/promoting-equal-opportunities/effective-practice/mature-students/)
- They are less likely to continue with their studies, with 15.2% of mature students dropping out of their courses after the first year and they are also less likely than young students to go on to further study if they graduate. (https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/differences-in-student-outcomes/age/ https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/differences-in-student-outcomes/age/)
- Are less likely to graduate with a first or upper second class degree – only 67% of mature students did so in 2016-17 compared to 79% of young students. (https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8809/CBP-8809.pdf)
- Do not feel like they can socially integrate into a university community which can lead to feelings of stress and isolation – according to an NUS survey of mature students who left their degrees early were more likely to report not being involved with university life and felt unable to develop relationships with fellow students and staff at their institution. (https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/docs/pdf/student-support/edi/nus-million-plus-never-too-late-to-learn-mature-students.pdf)
