Mature Students
Mature Student is a term we often hear but what is a mature student?
In our formal University business we sometimes need to use particular definitions, for example when producing official statistics we have to use the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) definition of 21 or over at the point of entry for undergraduates and 25 for postgraduates. Similarly, when offering Student Finance guidance we need to be aware that being 25 or over is one of the criteria for being classified an independent student. Â
The phrase ‘mature student’ is commonly used and can be useful in denoting a student who has not continued to university straight from school and can often reflect a very different life experience. However, we also need to be mindful that it is a catch all phrase that tends to stereotype people. It does not reflect the wide age ranges it covers or the diversity and individuality of the mature students. Neither does it recognise that a number of our younger students share aspects of what might be termed a ‘mature student’ profile.
At Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ we are committed to developing an inclusive community and as such we try to encourage all our students to engage with the student experience as widely as possible and in a way that suits them. However by following the links on this page you will find some information we have put together for those who consider themselves in what might be termed the ‘mature’ category.