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‘It’s Taking Me a Long Time but I’ll Get There in the End’: Mature students on access courses and higher education choice

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‘It’s Taking Me a Long Time but I’ll Get There in the End’: Mature students on access courses and higher education choice

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This article highlights some of the challenges mature students from an Access diploma face when choosing, applying and transitioning into HE in the UK.

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Persistence, how do they do it? A case study of Access to Higher Education learners on a UK Diploma/BSc Nursing programme

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Persistence, how do they do it? A case study of Access to Higher Education learners on a UK Diploma/BSc Nursing programme

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This article provides insight into how Access to HE students perform in HE compared to other students who have used alternative paths into health degrees. Findings conclude that students who enter with Access to HE diplomas often adapt and perform as well as their non-Access to HE peers.

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Summary

In 2006, the United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health (DoH) produced guidelines, requiring institutions to address the attrition rates for student nurses and midwives. This issue is not only a concern in the UK but has gained prominence in other Schools of Nursing including the USA, Australia, and developing countries. Many Schools of Nursing have witnessed a change in their student population with a growing prominence of mature entrants (those over 21). Studies that focus on learner persistence, in particular mature students are relatively rare and very scarce on entrants with an Access to Higher Education (HE) qualification.

This study, using focus group interviews, involved Access to HE learners who successfully progressed to a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)/Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nursing at one UK University.

The study findings indicated that Access to HE learners are able to develop a range of coping strategies in relation to academic demands and caring responsibilities, which are drawn upon in their DipHE/BSc programme. The findings have relevance for all Schools of Nursing as we face new and difficult challenges not least the global shortage of qualified nurses and the pressures placed on educators to retain student nurses.

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Persistence, how do they do it? A case study of Access to Higher Education learners on a UK Diploma/BSc Nursing programme

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In 2006, the United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health (DoH) produced guidelines, requiring institutions to address the attrition rates for student nur...

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Mature Access: the contribution of the Access to Higher Education Diploma

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Mature Access: the contribution of the Access to Higher Education Diploma

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This article explores the contribution that Access to HE has had on widening participation in universities. You can also explore some of the conversations relating to recruitment and attrition challenges within these qualifications using QAA data collected since 1998 and annual reports published in FE and HE.

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Mature higher education students in England

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Mature higher education students in England

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This is a short report released by the House of Commons in 2021. It provides an overview of the issues being discussed in relation to the Augar review and provides insight into trends- and behaviours relating to adults returning to study.

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Forgotten learners: building a system that works for mature students

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Forgotten learners: building a system that works for mature students

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MillionPlus released this piece of research into mature students and their engagement and experience within HE. This report draws some fantastic information for those looking to improve their work with mature students.

You may also be interested in a recent report called 'Learning with the lights off' which comes as a result of the cost of living crisis. MillionPlus found in this report that mature and commuting students are among the most disadvantaged due to the ongoing issues with finance, and the more recent challenges we are currently facing in the UK.

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Forgotten learners: building a system that works for mature students

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This report highlights the importance of undergraduate mature students in higher education institutions across the UK, with particular reference to modern universities [formed after the Further and Higher Education Act was passed in 1992].

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This topic briefing (released in 2020) provides a useful oversight into wider issues relating to longitudinal support for mature students within HE.

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The issue

Mature undergraduate students are more likely than younger students to be underrepresented in higher education and can face different barriers to accessing and succeeding in their studies.

Key facts

1. There has been a decline in the number of mature students entering higher education, from 243,885 in 2010-11 to 191,340 in 2018-19 (a 22 per cent drop). This has been driven by a decrease in part-time study, where entrant numbers have decreased by 52 per cent between 2010-11 and 2018-19.

2. There has also been a 52 per cent decline in mature student entrants to other undergraduate courses including foundation degrees. This has been driven by a 70 per cent drop in mature part-time students on these courses between 2010-11 and 2018-19. This is in contrast to a 25 per cent decrease in part-time first degree entrants over the same time period.

3. Mature students are more likely to be from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. Research by million+ and NUS shows that mature students are more likely to be black, Asian or minority ethnic, have known disabilities, and have non-traditional qualifications than younger students.

4. Mature students are more likely to drop out of their course than younger students. In 2017-18, 84 per cent of mature students on full-time or apprenticeship courses continued with their course compared to 92.1 per cent of younger students. The continuation rate for mature part-time students was also lower than that for young students (64.5 per cent and 74.8 per cent respectively).

5. Mature students on full-time or apprenticeship courses have poorer degree outcomes than young students. In 2018-19, 70.3 per cent of full-time mature students graduated with a 1st or 2:1 compared to 80.2 per cent of young students.

6. In contrast, part-time mature students achieve better outcomes compared to younger part-time students. In 2018-19, 61.3 per cent of mature part-time students achieved a 1st or a 2.1 compared to only 44.4 per cent of young part-time students.

Definitions

By mature students we mean undergraduate students aged 21 and over when they enter higher education. This is consistent with the Higher Education Statistics Agency's definition of mature students.

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Effective practice topic briefing on mature students

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Improving opportunity and choice for mature students

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Improving opportunity and choice for mature students

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This topic briefing from the Office for Students provides more insight into why there has been a specific focus on this group.

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Insight brief

The opportunity to study as a mature student is essential for equality of opportunity. It provides essential skills for future prosperity, especially as the UK recovers from the pandemic. While numbers of mature students in higher education have declined, particularly for certain types of study, there are positive signs of increasing demand. The government proposes to nurture this growth through its Lifelong Loan Entitlement, and the OfS is working for change through improved information, advice and guidance, regulation in the form of access and participation plans, and funding initiatives to encourage greater flexibility and choice.

Download the Insight brief as a PDF

Download the Insight brief data

Read the Insight brief online

Introduction

The promise of higher education is that it allows individuals - at any age - a chance to learn new skills and open up new opportunities. For mature students, university or college can be a second chance to learn, an avenue to a new career, and an opportunity to earn more money. ¹ The decision to go into higher education is often a more challenging one for them to make, and the consequences of it greater, than for young students. ²

Mature students as a group (defined as those who enter higher education at the age of 21 or over) are often overlooked. They have different motivations and needs from young students. ³ Over the last 15 years, the number of them entering higher education has declined significantly, driven by a drop in those studying part-time and those pursuing a qualification below a full degree. ⁴

In the UK, a significant proportion of adults do not participate in any form of learning, with a third or more of the respondents to the Learning and Work Institute's annual survey reporting that they have done none since full-time education. ⁵ Around a fifth of the adult population does not have upper secondary education; less than half have tertiary education. ⁶ In 2018, 1.3 per cent of the UK population aged over 25 were enrolled in a bachelors' degree or higher qualification - lower than international competitors such as Australia (3.8 per cent) and the USA (2.1 per cent). ⁷ Many UK businesses report a lack of skilled graduate employees. ⁸

The pandemic has seen an increase in unemployment. ⁹ Some industries - such as hospitality, retail and tourism - have suffered more than others. Others, such as nursing, have seen increased interest as people are inspired by the work of frontline workers. ¹⁰ Some parts of the country have been impacted more by lockdowns and unemployment than others. ¹¹ Remote learning, widely adopted during lockdown, could provide more flexible learning opportunities for the adult workforce. ¹² The pandemic and resulting economic downturn could therefore see an increased demand for higher education, as people who are made redundant want to retrain, and graduates seek higher qualifications to be more competitive in the job market.

The Office for Students (OfS) is committed to ensuring that mature students have the same opportunities as younger students. Our aim is that they should have the chance to study in higher education in a way that fits around their other commitments. We are working to expand outreach programmes such as Uni Connect to cover those beyond school age, and to increase the focus on mature students in access and participation plans.

This Insight brief comes at a critical juncture. In the Skills for Jobs white paper, the government has signalled its intention to introduce the Lifelong Loan Entitlement to make it easier to access training throughout people's lives and prioritise the skills that employers need. ¹³ The government has followed this up with proposals in the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which was announced in the 2021 Queen's Speech. Central to the proposals is a plan to provide loans for both adult training and higher education courses beyond Level 4 on an equal footing, with greater access to modular provision to enable adults to update their skills flexibly and return to learning when it suits them.

Background

In 2018-19, there were 478,000 mature students studying at undergraduate level at English higher education providers (30.2 per cent of the total number of undergraduates). Almost all postgraduate students are mature - 480,000 or 99.2 per cent of the total in 2018-19. ¹⁴ Since 2010-11, the number of UK-domiciled undergraduate mature students entering English higher education providers has declined by 19.2 per cent, a reduction of some 47,000 students - although this figure disguises a significant change in the balance between part-time and full-time study, discussed later in this brief.

Mature students often have more complex needs than younger students. They are more likely to be disabled, come from more deprived areas, or have family or caring responsibilities. ¹⁵ If they are a part-time student, their primary focus might not be higher education. They may be a parent or carer, and may work full or part-time. Overall they are slightly more likely to be white, but in older age groups the percentage of black students among applicants offered places increases. ¹⁶

It is difficult to measure educational or social disadvantage for mature students. Measures used for younger students - such as free school meals (to gauge poverty) and the Participation of Local Areas measure (POLAR) (to measure educational disadvantage) - often do not have the same meaning once students have become more independent of parental ties. As a recent review of access and participation data concluded, a 'lack of availability of datasets for targeting outreach activities for mature and part-time learners emerges as a major gap.' ²³

Some broader-brush area measures are available. For example, looking at the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), more than twice as many mature students (26.6 per cent) live in the most deprived areas as in the least deprived (13.1 per cent). This pattern is even more pronounced for full-time mature students. This reverses what is seen with young students, only 18.5 per cent of whom come from the most deprived areas and 23.9 per cent from the least. ²⁴ This can be a somewhat crude measure of deprivation, since in urban areas deprived streets can be close to richer ones, and a mature student's last address before entering higher education may well differ from the area where they grew up. It nonetheless points to mature students living with more deprivation than their younger counterparts. That mature students are more likely to come from deprived areas shows the importance of higher education for opening up opportunities later in life.

Figure 1: Proportion of young and mature UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants at English higher education providers by IMD quintile in 2019-20

Source: OfS mature students datafile.²⁵

Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the proportion of young and mature UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants at English higher education providers by Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile in 2019-20.

It shows that more than twice as many mature students live in the most deprived areas as in the least deprived. This is the reverse of what is seen with young students, only 18.5 per cent of whom come from the most deprived areas and 23.9 per cent from the least.

It shows the following proportions by quintile:

Quintile 1 (most deprived) - 26.6 per cent of mature students and 18.5 per cent of young students.

Quintile 2 - 24.8 per cent of mature students and 18.6 per cent of young students.

Quintile 3 - 19.4 per cent of mature students and 18.7 per cent of young students.

Quintile 4 - 16.1 per cent of mature students and 20.4 per cent of young students.

Quintile 5 (least deprived) - 13.1 per cent of mature students and 23.9 per cent of young students.

Motivation

The motivations of mature students are often different from those of students who entered higher education at 18 years old. Some were not able to begin higher education as teenagers because of a lack of qualifications, or because they were not encouraged to apply. Some may have had negative experiences of education, or did not feel they would 'fit', or chose a competing option such as a further education qualification or entering a workplace straight from secondary school. ²⁶ Some may wish to retrain, earn more money and have wider employment choices, or to learn something new. ²⁷ These new skills can be useful to the national economy, filling gaps in sectors like IT and the NHS.

Degree apprenticeships attract a high proportion of mature students. In 2018-19, 67.9 per cent of degree apprentices were over 21 when they started their courses, compared with only 29.7 per cent on traditional higher education courses. ²⁸

Case study: University Centre Telford

University Centre Telford is the first of the University of Wolverhampton's Regional Learning Centres and is located in the heart of Telford above the public library. It is based on a model of collaboration using a whole-community integrated approach aligned with local economic and social needs, including higher skills to drive the local economy. It aims to increase awareness of higher education for all, enable progression routes and offer relevant courses locally.

The centre plays a key role in community engagement, working to engage and nurture prospective and current learners through bespoke information, advice and guidance, tasters, lectures and participation in community and Telford-wide events. Staff work with partners to identify barriers to learning and remove them, through initiatives such as an English Cafe and public lectures. Evidence shows that this approach benefits learners, the community and the wider economy. During the pandemic, learning has been essential in addressing the wellbeing of the communities who make up Telford, and the centre has played a key role.

The centre has increased participation for employee learners through courses in management and marketing and in education, and through top-up degrees for further education students. It is focused on expanding specialist provision to match employment and skills needs in the area.

The university's approach is based on sustained engagement with education, business, third sector and public sector partners to deliver what is needed in key locations. The centre represents a commitment to regional economic growth and development, and its success has led to other Regional Learning Centres and to major increases in investment, higher education provision and opportunities for mature learners to study locally.

Part-time and full-time study

While the motivations for going to university or college may not have changed much over the last two decades, there has been a change since the turn of the century in how mature students study. In 2010-11, 149,000 part-time mature students entered higher education. By 2019-20, this number had more than halved to 64,000 - a decline of 57 per cent. In contrast, the numbers of mature students studying full-time have gone up by 41 per cent since 2010-11; these students now outnumber their counterparts studying part-time. In this way, the 'typical' mature student has changed markedly over the last decade: most are now studying full-time, even while the vast majority of part-time students remain mature. This shift coincided with a decline in part-time undergraduate study below a full degree, and a rise in full-time first degree study. ³²

Figure 2: Number of mature UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants at English higher education providers by mode of study from 2010-11 to 2019-20

Source: OfS mature students datafile³³

Figure 2 is a double line graph showing the difference in the number of mature students entering English higher education by mode of study between 2010-11 and 2019-20.

It shows, over the period under examination, that the number of part-time entrants has more than halved while full-time entrants have increased year on year since 2012-13.

It shows that:

In 2010-11, there were 94,670 full-time mature entrants and 149,480 part-time mature entrants.

In 2011-12, there were 89,880 full-time mature entrants and 147,080 part-time mature entrants.

In 2012-13, there were 85,100 full-time mature entrants and 100,750 part-time mature entrants.

In 2013-14, there were 93,270 full-time mature entrants and 90,540 part-time mature entrants.

In 2014-15, there were 105,800 full-time mature entrants and 83,040 part-time mature entrants.

In 2015-16, there were 114,060 full-time mature entrants and 82,160 part-time mature entrants.

In 2016-17, there were 117,480 full-time mature entrants and 71,720 part-time mature entrants.

In 2017-18, there were 119,900 full-time mature entrants and 67,730 part-time mature entrants.

In 2018-19, there were 126,880 full-time mature entrants and 64,970 part-time mature entrants.

In 2019-20, there were 133,410 full-time mature entrants and 63,980 part-time mature entrants.

This shift is not new. Part-time numbers peaked in the mid-2000s and have been declining - albeit at different rates - ever since. ³⁴ There are various reasons for this decline. In 2008, the government stopped offering loans and living costs (with a few exceptions) for students studying for a qualification at a level equivalent to or lower than one they already held. ³⁵ The increase in tuition fees to up to £9,000 in 2012 also had an impact - especially the stipulation that study intensity must be over 25 per cent of full-time course to qualify for government loans. ³⁶ Since the recession of 2007 to 2009, employers appear more reluctant to fund courses for their staff. ³⁷ Led by changes to student loans, universities and colleges have increasingly focused on full-time provision to the detriment of part-time provision. ³⁸ However, many newer providers offer courses and provision (often more locally) that is attractive to mature students.

Even while the potential motivations of mature students are manifold, the options open to them have become more restricted. A wide variety of part-time options also benefited other groups, such as younger students who wanted to reduce course intensity because of disability or becoming parents during their courses. Not only do these individuals miss out on the opportunity to benefit from higher education, but the university or college does not benefit from their broader variety of outlooks and lived experience.

It is not a given that the period following the pandemic will see a rise in older people entering or re-entering higher education. After the 2007 to 2009 recession, there was a much greater fall in older mature students studying part-time than in younger ones. ⁴⁵ To ensure that as many people as possible can benefit, in May 2021 the Queen's speech introduced a bill which would establish the Lifelong Loan Entitlement, equivalent to four years of post-18 education. ⁴⁶ This is expected to allow mature students to study part-time and benefit from the equivalent funding to those studying full-time, including at a lower intensity.

Where mature students study

Regional inequalities in higher education matter more to mature students than some other groups, as they are less likely to be able to move for higher education. Younger students tend to move further and therefore often have greater choice of institutions. ⁴⁷ There are also higher education cold spots, especially in the rural and coastal areas of England, which could limit choice for those who cannot move far from their home region for education. ⁴⁸

Mature students are more likely to attend specialist providers and less selective universities than younger students. In 2019-20, more than a third (37.2 per cent) of mature undergraduates entering higher education went to universities with low average tariff scores (which often reflect entry requirements), while roughly a quarter (23.9 per cent) went to specialist providers. ⁴⁹ By contrast, of young entrants in 2019-20, only 21.9 per cent studied at universities with low average tariff scores, while 6.0 per cent began their studies at a specialist provider.

Mature student representation at more selective universities (those with high average tariff scores) has declined from 8.8 per cent in 2010-11 to 5.9 per cent in 2019-20 - a reduction of 10,790 students in absolute terms. Meanwhile, the proportion of mature students starting higher education courses at further education colleges has nearly doubled, from 7.8 per cent in 2010-11 to 14.3 per cent in 2019-20 (from 18,980 to 25,960 entrants). This shift means that opportunities to progress from further into higher education - including through further education colleges and universities working together - are particularly important for mature students.

This change could be for a number of reasons. The more selective universities could be focusing on recruiting young students at the expense of mature students. Mature students could be choosing to study at other universities and colleges because they offer more flexible provision. They could also have little choice if they cannot move far from their home town. ⁵⁰

Figure 3: Proportion of UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants at English higher education providers by provider tariff group in 2019-20

Source: OfS mature students datafile.⁵¹

Figure 3 is a double bar graph that shows the difference in the type of provider mature and young students attend. It shows that young students are more likely to attend providers with high and medium average tariff scores. In contrast, mature students are more like to attend providers with low average tariff scores and specialised providers.

It shows the following proportion by provider:

High average tariff scores - 5.9 per cent of mature students and 33.3 per cent of young students.

Medium average tariff scores - 18.8 per cent of mature students and 33.6 per cent of young students.

Low average tariff scores - 37.2 per cent of mature students and 21.9 per cent of young students.

Specialist providers - 23.9 per cent of mature students and 6.0 per cent of young students.

Further education colleges - 14.3 per cent of mature students and 5.1 per cent of young students.

Case study: Blackpool and the Fylde College

Blackpool and the Fylde College has a focus on upskilling and reskilling students to meet the needs of the economy and facilitate social inclusion. 'Flying Start' is the college's principal programme supporting transition into and between levels in higher education for all students, offering essential study preparation.

Since the average age of students at the college is 28, with many having had a break in education, the Flying Start programme was developed from a need to ensure that students are prepared to enter and progress through higher education. Confidence, resilience and experience are deepened through blended delivery workshops that offer inspiration through practical advice and resources, to help manage study and familiarise students with available support.

Digital access and support are integrated into the students' experience through a mobile-enabled virtual learning environment introduced at the beginning of their digital journey. The content responds to the predominantly mature student demographic, including focused discussions around returning to study and changing careers, and time management alongside other commitments.

To understand the effectiveness of Flying Start, the college monitors the performance of attendees throughout their student lifecycle through various measures, with clear benefits seen in the retention of students who participated in the workshops.

Flying Start complements the carefully considered provision offered by the college that the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education's recent research has found is attractive to the mature student lifestyle, namely flexible and condensed timetabling allowing mature learners to manage existing commitments, class sizes that are typically smaller than at a university, and the majority of students living locally.

Mature students currently have better progression into highly skilled employment or further study than young students. Of undergraduate mature students studying full-time before graduating in 2016-17, 75.7 per cent progressed into highly skilled employment or further study, a rate 3.4 percentage points higher than for young students (72.3 per cent). Rates for part-time mature students were similar to full-time (75.8 per cent), and higher than young part-time students (by between nine and 14 percentage points). It should be noted, however, that young part-time study is uncommon. ⁵²

This is, of course, influenced by the extent to which mature students may be studying while already in a highly skilled job, or choosing subject areas with better progression outcomes. Mature students are often studying with a specific job in mind, whereas young students may take more time to decide what career to enter. ⁵³

The ability to move to London gives an individual a greater choice of graduate jobs, but for those with commitments to a particular place, such migration is less practical. ⁵⁴ In 2019 the OfS funded 16 projects across England to improve the employment prospects for graduates who stay in their home regions. Through a range of initiatives, including curriculum interventions and internships, these projects are supporting the transition into highly skilled work. ⁵⁵

Projects like these will potentially open up a greater choice of graduate jobs for those who cannot move for work - a group which includes many mature students. They will allow graduates to contribute to their local area, fill skills gaps, and drive prosperity.

Challenges for the sector

While higher education can be transformative for mature students, it is not always geared towards their needs. Mature students are more likely to discontinue their studies. In 2018-19, 84.4 per cent of mature full-time students continued onto their second year, a rate eight percentage points below that for young students. Of part-time mature students, around two-thirds continued into their second year. This was 6.6 percentage points below their younger counterparts. ⁵⁶

There is also a degree attainment gap between mature and young students (see Figure 4). In 2019-20, for full-time undergraduates, this gap was 9.6 percentage points. ⁵⁷ It has, over recent years, been narrowing. Numbers of young part-time students are small, but the data suggests that attainment is higher (by between 16 and 24 percentage points) among mature part-time students than their younger counterparts. ⁵⁸

Figure 4: Differences in UK-domiciled undergraduate rates of achieving a first or upper second class degree by age and mode of study in 2019-20

Source: OfS access and participation data dashboard.⁵⁹ Note: 'pp' = 'percentage point'.

Figure 4 is a double bar graph that shows the difference in degree attainment between mature and young students in 2019-20. It shows that, among those studying full-time, young students were more likely to achieve a first or upper second degree than mature students. For part-time students, mature students were more likely to attain a first or upper second degree than younger students.

It shows that:

Among full-time undergraduates and apprenticeship students, 75.6 per cent of mature students achieved a first or an upper second class degree compared with 85.2 per cent of young students. The gap between these two rates is 9.6 percentage points.

Among part-time undergraduates, 64.7 per cent of mature students achieved a first or an upper second class degree compared with 44.6 per cent of young students. The gap between these two rates is -20.0 percentage points.

These gaps in continuation and disparities in attainment have not translated into universal support from universities and colleges. In their access and participation plans submitted to the OfS as of March 2020, only 40 out of 230 included targets related to mature students. Of these, 27 were from universities, the rest from colleges or specialist providers. 37 had written commitments, such as bursaries and student support, and the majority of these related wholly or in part to access.

There is a need for greater choice of how to study, more flexible course structure and improved transitional support, particularly in the first year of higher education, or through foundation years and access courses. ⁶⁰ This support could include changes to the course structure, modular provision, evening seminars and childcare.

As we emerge from the pandemic, there will be more need than ever for opportunities to be available to mature students to reskill and upskill. Local opportunities for study and different pathways may be increasingly important, including higher education and further education partnerships, technical qualifications, and Access to Higher Education qualifications. Over the coming year, we will engage with universities and colleges to build these routes more substantially into access and participation plans.

New opportunities for mature students

Case study: Deakin University, Australia: A welcoming environment for cloud learners

Deakin University has over 60,000 students, with around 45,000 returning to study after a prior tertiary course, career or family break. About 30 per cent of all students choose to study online in cloud courses. These are overwhelmingly (circa 95 per cent) returning to study, and their experience is a useful lens on effective adult learning.

Deakin created its Cloud Campus, a virtual environment for students enrolled in online courses, to focus attention on the online student experience. To understand these students better, the university reviewed cohort characteristics and ran user experience studies. ⁶⁴ Cloud students are more likely to be older (75 per cent are over 24 years old), study part-time (70 per cent) and have families (48 per cent), and are evenly split between undergraduate and postgraduate study. Reconstruction of the student journey through longitudinal self-report identified key 'pain points' and interventions that could improve learning and experience. Cloud students wanted timely and consistent information, flexible services accessible online and asynchronously, and proactive engagement from staff who understood their perspective.

Deakin addresses identified issues by embedding the cloud student perspective in quality assurance and uplift of processes and tools. Student feedback, success and outcomes are reported for cloud students alongside reports for physical campuses. Cloud student representatives are included in university committees and in major project consultation. Cloud Campus experts work alongside operational teams to identify and resolve pain points.

Deakin's online learning was developed from decades of distance education and early adoption of digital educational technologies. It has succeeded thanks a university-wide commitment to call out the experience and needs of learners looking for flexible ways to study.

Online offerings such as massive open online courses have long been proposed as a solution to some of the barriers mature students face, allowing them to pick and choose modules from a wide variety of providers and complete them at their own pace. While take-up has been high, however, completion rates are often below 10 per cent. ⁶⁵

Online teaching and learning have been catalysed by the pandemic as seminars and lectures have needed to be delivered remotely. If this trend continues, it could benefit mature students who want to study remotely or flexibly around work or caring commitments. It will be important, though, to consider the barriers that students face when accessing this provision. Access to the internet varies by region: 38 per cent of students in the North West had experienced a lack of reliable internet access, compared with just 23 per cent in London. ⁶⁶ Such regional inequalities will have to be addressed if digital learning is to be available to all.

What the OfS is doing to drive change

As this brief has detailed, the choice open to mature students has been narrowing. The OfS is working to facilitate more choice, opportunity and flexibility across the sector. Through the access and participation plans, we require providers to consider how they support mature students throughout the student lifecycle, and set out how they intend to address gaps in performance where they find them. Although mature students have not been prioritised by many providers to date, we expect more focus to be given to them as we agree changes to plans following the pandemic.

We have been developing our outreach and access initiatives to target mature students. Online information, advice and guidance resources such as Discover Uni offer practical advice and support tailored towards prospective mature students. ⁶⁷ We will increase the focus of Uni Connect partnerships on working with employers and communities to support mature student participation, including a stronger role for further education colleges, and progression from further to higher education. ⁶⁸

In addition to our work to support local graduates, we are funding 18 universities to develop postgraduate conversion courses to allow people with degrees outside the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths to retrain in artificial intelligence. The programme is expected to create at least 2,500 postgraduates. A key aim of this initiative is to increase diversity and the number of people from underrepresented backgrounds in the fields of artificial intelligence and data.

We have seen a notable rise in mature students accepted onto nursing courses and we will continue to work with Health Education England to support government plans to increase opportunities for nursing, building on the research, advice and guidance we have published in this area. ⁶⁹

Conclusion

Over the last 15 years, there has been a gradual narrowing of options and opportunities for mature students. Part-time study - especially under 50 per cent intensity - has been hollowed out. Digital and online courses have yet to fill the gap. For those who cannot study full-time because of other commitments, this lack of part-time provision means that higher education is not a viable option. Rectifying these issues will require involvement from the government, universities and colleges, and the OfS.

There are encouraging signs that mature students may be returning in greater numbers to higher education. Mature applicants have risen, especially in nursing. The introduction of remote learning, necessitated by the pandemic, has offered more flexible provision to those with other responsibilities.

The government's proposals for the Lifelong Loan Entitlement and more flexible provision could encourage this nascent regrowth. Universities and colleges can build on the remote teaching and learning they introduced in the pandemic. The OfS will continue to fund and evaluate projects to create opportunities for mature students, to improve the information, advice and guidance available to them and to give them greater prominence in our access and participation work.

It is imperative that the momentum that is building for mature students is not lost after the pandemic. Improved choice, funding and flexibility will be essential to set mature and younger students on a truly equal footing.

Please note: Under the heading 'Background' on page 2 of the Insight brief, a correction was issued on Friday 4 May 2021 as follows.

The paragraph previously read: 'In 2019-20 there were 705,000 mature students studying at undergraduate level at English higher education providers (45.6 per cent of the total number of undergraduates). Almost all postgraduate students are mature - 527,000 or 99.3 per cent of the total in 2019-20.'

The reference for this statement was https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb258/figure-5. The statistics in this statement are based on selecting country of provider as England, and level of study 'All undergraduate', then summing the number of students in the age group categories 21-25 and above. However, since the Higher Education Statistics Agency uses age at the start of the academic year ( https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c19051/derived/xagrp601), this definition of mature is different from our own, which only includes those who are 21 and over on entry to their course. This makes a material difference to the number and proportion of mature students.

Following the correction, we now use data from our equality and diversity webpages.

Note: This page and PDF download were updated on 10 May 2022 to correct references to the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.

¹ In this brief, for the sake of readability, we have used 'universities and colleges', or sometimes simply 'universities', to refer to what our Regulatory framework and other more formal documents call 'higher education providers'.

² McCune, Velda, Jenny Hounsell, Hazel Christie, Viviene E Cree, and Lyn Tett, 'Mature and younger students' reasons for making the transition from further education into higher education', Teaching in Higher Education, 2010, pp691-702.

³ Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO), 'Analysis report: Supporting access and student success for mature learners', April 2021 (available at https://taso.org.uk/news-item/universities-could-attract-more-mature-learners-by-offering-online-or-blended-learning/).

⁴ Datafile available to download alongside this brief at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/improving-opportunity-and-choice-for-mature-students/; Callender, Claire, and John Thomson, 'The lost part-timers: The decline of part-time undergraduate higher education in England', 2018 (available at https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10066734/), p20.

⁵ Learning and Work Institute, 'Rates of adult participation in learning' ( https://learningandwork.org.uk/what-we-do/lifelong-learning/adult-participation-in-learning-survey/rates-of-adult-participation-in-learning/).

⁶ Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 'Adult education level' ( https://data.oecd.org/eduatt/adult-education-level.htm). These statistics define upper secondary education as 'the final stage of secondary education' ( https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=5450).

⁷ Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 'Enrolment rates of the population aged 25 years or older, by level of education (2018)' ( https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/enrolment-rates-of-the-population-aged-25-years-or-older-by-level-of-education-2018_69b79b87-en).

⁸ Prospects, 'Skills shortages in the UK, 2019/20', December 2019 (available at https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/skills-shortages-in-the-uk).

⁹ Office for National Statistics, 'Labour market overview, UK: May 2021', ( https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/may2021).

¹⁰ Ford, Megan, 'Nursing courses see 32% rise in applications during COVID-19', Nursing Times, 18 February 2021 ( https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/education/nursing-courses-see-32-rise-in-applications-during-covid-19-18-02-2021/).

¹¹ Houston, Donald, 'The unevenness in the local economic impact of COVID-19 presents a serious challenge to the government's "levelling up" agenda', November 2020 ( https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/local-economic-impact-covid19/); Office for National Statistics, 'Labour market in the regions of the UK: May 2021' ( https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/regionallabourmarket/may2021); Institute for Fiscal Studies, 'Levelling up: Where and how?', October 2020 (available at https://ifs.org.uk/books/levelling-where-and-how).

¹² OfS, 'Gravity assist: Propelling higher education towards a brighter future', March 2021 (available at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/gravity-assist-propelling-higher-education-towards-a-brighter-future/).

¹³ Department for Education, 'Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growth', January 2021 ( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-for-jobs-lifelong-learning-for-opportunity-and-growth).

¹⁴ OfS, 'Equality and diversity student data', www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/equality-and-diversity-student-data/equality-and-diversity-data/

¹⁵ Million Plus and National Union of Students, 'Never too late to learn: Mature students in higher education', May 2012 (available at https://www.millionplus.ac.uk/policy/reports/never-too-late-to-learn), pp7-8; Sutton, Charlotte E, 'Does age matter in higher education? Investigating mature undergraduate students' experiences', PhD Thesis, 2019 (available at https://leicester.figshare.com/articles/thesis/Does_Age_Matter_in_Higher_Education_Investigating_Mature_Undergraduate_Students_Experiences/10321283), pp71-76.

¹⁶ UCAS, 'Admissions patterns for mature applicants', August 2018 (available at https://www.ucas.com/file/175936/downl), pp13-14.

¹⁷ Weinbren, Daniel, The Open University: A history (2015); Parry, Gareth, and Anne Thompson, 'Closer by Degrees: The past, present and future of higher education in further education colleges', 2002 (available at https://dera.ioe.ac.uk//10140/); Fielden, John and Robin Middlehurst, 'Alternative providers of higher education: Issues for policymakers', January 2017 (available at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2017/01/05/3762/), p29.

¹⁸ William Whyte, 'Somewhere to live: Why British students study away from home - and why it matters', November 2019 (available at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2019/11/14/somewhere-to-live-why-british-students-study-away-from-home-and-why-it-matters/).

¹⁹ Holton, Mark, and Kirsty Finn, 'Being-in-motion: The everyday (gendered and classed) embodied mobilities for UK university students who commute', Mobilities, 2018, pp426-40; Holton, Mark, 'Traditional or non-traditional students? Incorporating UK students' living arrangements into decisions about going to university', Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2018, pp556-569; Pokorny, H, D Holley and S Kane, 'Commuting, transitions and belonging: The experiences of students living at home in their first year at university', Higher Education, 2017, pp543-58.

²⁰ OfS, 'National Student Survey - NSS: Sector analysis', ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/national-student-survey-nss/sector-analysis/).

²¹ These other characteristics are sex, ethnicity, mode of study, subject of study, disability status. This gap could be related to a large proportion of mature students learning through long-distance methods or being clustered at a small number of providers.

²² TASO, 'Summary report: Supporting access and student success for mature learners', April 2021 (available at https://taso.org.uk/news-item/universities-could-attract-more-mature-learners-by-offering-online-or-blended-learning/), p4.

²³ CFE Research, 'Data use for access and participation in higher education', February 2020 (available at
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/data-use-for-access-and-participation/), p52.

²⁴ Datafile available to download alongside this brief at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/improving-opportunity-and-choice-for-mature-students/.

²⁵ Available to download alongside this brief at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/improving-opportunity-and-choice-for-mature-students/.

²⁶ Swain, Jon, and Cathie Hammond, 'The motivations and outcomes of studying for part-time mature students in higher education', International Journal of Lifelong Education, 2011, pp591-612; McCune, Velda, Jenny Hounsell, Hazel Christie, Viviene E Cree and Lyn Tett, 'Mature and younger students' reasons for making the transition from further education into higher education', Teaching in Higher Education, 2010, pp691-702; Busher, Hugh and Nalita James 'Mature students' socioeconomic backgrounds and their choices of Access to Higher Education courses', Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2020, p641; TASO, 'Analysis report: Supporting access and student success for mature learners', April 2021 (available at https://taso.org.uk/news-item/universities-could-attract-more-mature-learners-by-offering-online-or-blended-learning/).

²⁷ Butcher, John, and John Rose-Adams, 'Part-time learners in open and distance learning: revisiting the critical importance of choice, flexibility and employability', Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 2015, pp127-37; Bridgstock, R, 2009, 'The graduate attributes we've overlooked: Enhancing graduate employability through career management skills', Higher Education Research and Development, 2009, pp31-44.

²⁸ OfS, 'Analysis of Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships', May 2020 (available at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/analysis-of-level-6-and-7-apprenticeships/), p4.

²⁹ OfS, 'Consistency needed: Care experienced students and higher education', April 2021 ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/consistency-needed-care-experienced-students-and-higher-education/#Background).

³⁰ Farley, Helen, and Anne Pike, 'Engaging prisoners in education: Reducing risk and recidivism', Advancing Corrections: Journal of the International Corrections and Prisons Association, 2016, pp65-73.

³¹ Refugee Support Network, '"I just want to study": Access to higher education for young refugees and asylum seekers', February 2012 (available at https://www.reuk.org/resources/13-i-just-want-to-study-access-to-higher-education-for-young-refugees-and-asylum-seekers), pp7-9.

³² 'Number of UK-domiciled undergraduate students to English higher education providers 2006-07 to 2019-20', May 2021 ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/official-statistics/published-statistics/).

³³Available to download alongside this brief at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/improving-opportunity-and-choice-for-mature-students/. Note that this analysis is restricted to courses leading to a qualification, which aligns with data we publish on access and participation but means a significant number of mature students will not be in the scope of this analysis. For an indication of the decrease in mature students studying on courses for institutional credit rather than a qualification see Callender, Claire, and John Thomson, 'The lost part-timers: The decline of part-time undergraduate higher education in England', 2018 (available at https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10066734/), p20, Figure 4. There is also some higher education provision before 2014-15 not reported, because providers that now submit to the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Alternative return were not required to report data until that year.

³⁴ House of Commons Library, 'Higher education student numbers', February 2021 (available at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7857/), p26.

³⁵ House of Commons Library, 'Mature students in England', February 2021 (available at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8809/), p21.

³⁶ Callender, Claire, and John Thomson, 'The lost part-timers: The decline of part-time undergraduate higher education in England', 2018 (available at https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10066734/), pp24-25.

³⁷ The Open University, 'Fixing the broken market in part-time study', November 2017 (available at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2017/11/16/time-tackle-part-time-crisis/), p8.

³⁸ Callender, Claire, 'The 2012-13 reforms of student finances and funding in England: The implications for the part-time undergraduate higher education sector' in Brada, JC, W Bienkowski and M Kuboniwa (eds) International Perspectives on Financing Higher Education, 2015, pp80-97
https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/42796/1/published%20Poland%20PT%20students%2018-06-2014%202.pdf [PDF], pp9-10.

³⁹ Department for Education, 'Post-18 choice of part-time study', May 2019 (available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-18-choice-of-part-time-study), p49.

⁴⁰ Callender, Claire, 'Putting part-time students at the heart of the system?', Higher Education Policy Institute, 2015 (available at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2015/10/29/finance-stupid-decline-part-time-higher-education/), p21.

⁴¹ Universities UK, 'UUK Review of part‐time and mature higher education: Survey of stakeholder evidence', October 2013 (available at https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/26225/1/PowerOfPartTime.pdf), p6.

⁴² Butcher, John, '"Shoe-horned and side-lined"? Challenges for part-time learners in the new HE landscape', July 2015 (available at https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/shoe-horned-and-side-lined-challenges-part-time-learners-new-he-landscape)
), pp21, 26-27.

⁴³ Callender, Claire, 'Putting part-time students at the heart of the system?', Higher Education Policy Institute, 2015 (available at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2015/10/29/finance-stupid-decline-part-time-higher-education/), pp21-22, 31.

⁴⁴ Learning and Work Institute, 'Rates of adult participation in learning' ( https://learningandwork.org.uk/what-we-do/lifelong-learning/adult-participation-in-learning-survey/rates-of-adult-participation-in-learning/).

⁴⁵ Oxford Economics, 'Macroeconomic influences on the demand for part-time higher education in the UK', April 2014 (available at https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A62328, p14.

⁴⁶ Department for Education, 'Skills for jobs: Lifelong learning for opportunity and growth', January 2021 ( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-for-jobs-lifelong-learning-for-opportunity-and-growth).

⁴⁷ UCAS, 'Admissions patterns for mature applicants', August 2018 (available at https://www.ucas.com/file/175936/downl), p15.

⁴⁸ OfS, 'Maps showing the distribution of higher education places in England, 2017-18' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/annual-review-2019/a-new-approach-to-fair-access-participation-and-success/#beforeofs).

⁴⁹ Providers are categorised according to their tariff group, using the same methodology as in our key performance measure 2 (available at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/about/measures-of-our-success/participation-performance-measures/gap-in-participation-at-higher-tariff-providers-between-the-most-and-least-represented-groups/). Higher tariff providers are the top third of English higher education providers when ranked by average tariff score of UK domiciled undergraduate entrants. Tariff scores are defined using Higher Education Statistics Agency data from academic years 2012-13 to 2014-15.

⁵⁰ Henderson, Holly, 'Place and student subjectivities in higher education "cold spots"', British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2019, pp331-45.

51 Available to download alongside this brief at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/improving-opportunity-and-choice-for-mature-students/

⁵² OfS, 'Access and participation data dashboard' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/).

⁵³ Lavender, Kate, Mature students' experiences of undertaking higher education in English vocational institutions: Employability and academic capital', International Journal of Training Research (2021).

⁵⁴ Prospects, 'What do graduates do? Regional edition', October 2019 (available at https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/what-do-graduates-do-regional-edition), p32.

⁵⁵ OfS. 'Improving outcomes for local graduates' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/skills-and-employment/improving-outcomes-for-local-graduates/).

56 OfS, 'Access and participation data dashboard' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/).

⁵⁷ As a result of the pandemic, a number of providers made changes to assessment and classification arrangements to ensure students were not disadvantaged by the impact of COVID-19 when it came to assessment in 2019-20. Providers did not adopt a single approach, and as a result, the impact of these changes will have varied from provider to provider. It is not possible to determine the extent to which these actions by providers may have influenced the increase in attainment rates seen between 2018-19 and 2019-20.

⁵⁸ OfS, 'Access and participation data dashboard' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/).

⁵⁹ OfS, 'Access and participation data dashboard' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/).

⁶⁰ Farmer, Julie, 'Mature access: The contribution of the Access to Higher Education diploma', Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 2017, pp63-72.

61 OfS, 'Access and participation data dashboard' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/).

⁶² Busby, Eleanor, Evening Standard, 'More people sign up for Open University online courses amid pandemic', 6 May 2021 ( https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/open-university-england-students-kent-government-b933492.html).

⁶³ UCAS, 'Nursing applications soar', February 2021 ( https://www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/nursing-applications-soar-ucas-publishes-latest-undergraduate-applicant-analysis).

⁶⁴ O'Donnell, M, and L Schulz, 2020, 'Learning design meets service design for innovation in online learning at scale', in McKenzie, S, M Mundy, F Garivaldis and K Dyer (eds), The Tertiary Online Teaching and Learning (TOTAL) Guide.

⁶⁵ Gütl, C, RH Rizzardini, V Chang, and M Morales, 'Attrition in MOOC: Lessons learned from drop-out students' in Uden, L, J Sinclair, YH Tao and D Liberona (eds), Learning Technology for Education in Cloud: MOOC and Big Data, 2014, pp37-48.

⁶⁶ OfS, 'Gravity assist: Propelling higher education towards a brighter future', March 2021 (available at www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/gravity-assist-propelling-higher-education-towards-a-brighter-future/), p65.

⁶⁷ Discover Uni, 'Over 21 and starting uni?' ( https://discoveruni.gov.uk/over-21-and-starting-uni/).

⁶⁸ OfS, 'Supporting adult learners' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/skills-and-employment/supporting-adult-learners/).

⁶⁹ OfS, 'Health education funding' ( www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/funding-for-providers/health-education-funding/strategic-interventions-in-health-education-disciplines/).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Improving opportunity and choice for mature students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The opportunity to study as a mature student is essential for equality of opportunity. It provides essential skills for future prosperity, especially as the UK recovers from the pandemic. While numbers of mature students in higher education have declined, particularly for certain types of study, there are positive signs of increasing demand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Gem smiling, wearing a grey jumper in front of some of her many well loved plants.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! I'm Gem and I'm UEA's Widening Participation Officer for Mature and Commuting Students. In my role, I support students across their educational lifecycle,  supporting informed decision making and for those who choose UEA, helping to navigate university. Understanding the spectrum of belonging with the demographics I work with is key to fully appreciating the types of challenges and successes these groups have. So, alongside my role, I am completing my postgraduate studies in educational research to further understanding and advocate for these students.

I was a mature, commuting student with caring responsibilities when I completed my undergraduate degree, so I also have lived experience. I find this helps to strike rapport with students and enable me to appreciate what students are managing alongside their studies.

In my current studies, I am looking at mature student experience, identity and non-continuation. If you'd like to collaborate or chat, please feel free to email me on g.standen@uea.ac.uk or find me on LinkedIn.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why partner with Access to HE providers?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why partner with Access to HE providers?

# data[].attributes.body
UEA Outreach committed to supporting mature students by using Access to HE as a proxy measure. Since 2019-2020, we have built on existing college relationships by offering dedicated and bespoke provision for Access students, and for some, across wider adult education provision (such as pre-access courses). This provision makes up part of a partnership agreement that comes with a contextual admission for Access students who choose to study at UEA.

We approach our partnerships holistically, making it clear that we are there to support informed decision making and to provide information poignant to the group, which is informed by research (see literature for examples) and up to date information in the sector. This includes talks on understanding entry requirements, writing personal statements and managing student finance. As students progress through an academic year, further information is provided to help individuals map out future journey's and understand their entitlements to services and support throughout.

If we are lucky enough to be the chosen institution (or one of them), we offer optional transition support through physical and online events, and if they progress into UEA study, support through their time at university. This provides a consistent approach to our partnership, with many past students offering to visit previous providers to support other students.

The benefits are wide reaching for both the colleges and for us as an institution. Mature students bring so much to a classroom and typically have better graduate outcomes than their younger peers. However, there may be additional struggles relating to life responsibilities and challenges being managed alongside study. This can pose challenges for HEI's who may need to adjust practice to adapt messaging/provision for this group.

This is just a flavour of why this work is enjoyable and worthwhile, but I welcome questions and would be happy to meet and discuss introducing programmes into your future plans. Email me on g.standen@uea.ac.uk to arrange.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a handy site designed by QAA to help individuals interested in exploring study options further - either through a brick and mortar provider, or through distance learning. This site provides case studies, course search and an overview of what the diploma entails.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a nationally-recognised qualification designed to prepare adults to study in higher education.