A report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to understand the decline in mature students has recommended that access targets and supports should be focused on disadvantaged communities and that part-time learning opportunities should be expanded.
The report – which was carried out by Indecon – also recommended a “strong national provision” of guidance and support for mature students, and for the sector to provide more bridging courses alongside further education and the creation of “seamless pathways” between the further and higher education sectors, according to a press statement by the HEA today.
In 2018, the National Access Plan Progress review found that the number of mature students had declined.
The HEA’s report found that in the 2018/2019 academic year, 6.8 per cent of new entrants in universities were mature students, while 12.3 per cent of new entrants to colleges and institutes of technology were mature students.
It also found that the number of mature students declined in higher education as unemployment fell.
The report, the HEA said, also found that two of the most important supports to mature students were the SUSI grant and Back to Education allowance.
Mature students cited financial costs and family responsibilities, as well as distances and flexibility of study as barriers to entry into the third-level sector.
In total, the HEA announced, the number of people in the 15 to 64 age bracket who had achieved a third-level qualification had increased by five per cent in the past decade.
Meanwhile, 40 per cent of the population have gained a third-level education, and only seven per cent have a primary or below level of education.
In a press statement, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said: “I am delighted to welcome the publication of this very important report. It will help us in our review of access policies and supports which seek to strengthen the participation of students from diverse backgrounds in higher education, particularly those who did not follow the more traditional transition routes.”
“Enabling all of society to reach their full potential is even more important as we embark on the new period of recovery which must include all of society”, he added.
“This will be a key focus for us in the development of our new National Access Plan which is currently at public consultation phase.”
HEA CEO Dr Alan Wall said in a press statement that “this report provides a crucial insight into the challenges faced by the mature student population (current, former and prospective) in accessing and participating in higher education”.
“Mature students bring with them a wealth of life experience and diversity of backgrounds”, he added. “The economy, and Ireland’s wider social and cultural development, needs their skills and perspectives.”
“Therefore, they must be provided with the opportunities and flexibility to learn, study and upskill that they may not have been able to access earlier in their lives.”
