Mature studet

Mature students are a significant part of the UK university landscape with over , mature students applying for entry in Despite this, it can often feel like universities are primarily concerned with appealing to 18 to year olds. Our guide, written in collaboration with the University of East London , will walk you through the process of going to university as a mature student, from deciding on whether to apply to getting financial support, with insights from a recent mature student graduate. Approaching higher education as a mature student can be both an exciting and daunting experience. You should consider several factors when you choosing if you want to go, and then later, where and how you want to study. Mature students are a diverse group with a variety of personal circumstances.

As a mature applicant, you must be out of full-time formal education for at least four years and satisfy the English language requirement and degree-specific requirements. This includes high school and post-secondary institutions. If you have a prior undergraduate degree, you can apply as an unclassified student, or as a transfer student if you wish to complete a second degree. Students with a previous degree are not considered mature applicants.

Adults can apply to attend colleges or universities as mature students. Applications by mature students are evaluated differently from applicants who have just finished high school. Many schools recognize that mature students have life experience that younger students may not have, such as work experience, experience as a parent or independent learning.

After going through a divorce, Ella McManus, 36, decided to leave a minimum-wage job and study a degree in business at Nottingham Trent University while looking after her three children. When I started university I was nervous about being older and not fitting in. But it all depends on your personality — you can ostracise yourself, or you can decide to blend in. People say the social life is the best part about university, but for me it was the learning. Looking behind the scenes at business, understanding the theory: I loved it all.