At Lincoln Bishop University, we warmly welcome students of all ages and are dedicated to supporting learners aged 21 and over so they can make the most of their university experience.
The term ‘mature student’ typically refers to anyone entering university after spending time away from full time education. This usually includes students aged 21 or older at the start of their undergraduate course, and those aged 25 or above when beginning postgraduate study.
Mature students come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some may have few or no formal qualifications and choose to complete an Access to HE Diploma or begin their first degree based on professional or life experience. Others may be returning to higher education to complete a postgraduate qualification or to study a new subject as part of their career development.
While there is no single definition of a typical student, starting university later in life can bring unique considerations, such as returning to study after a break, managing finances, or balancing academic commitments with work or family responsibilities. This section is designed to provide information and support for our mature students.
Flexible and Part-Time Study
We realise that as a mature student you may not be able to commit to formal full-time study, and so we offer many of our courses on a part time basis. Our Foundation Degrees are a flexible form of full-time study and are also a great option for those wanting to gain a qualification without giving up work, as they fit in around your normal working week. In studying these courses, you will attend fewer classes each year but study for a longer period. Our excellent level of support and teaching will, of course, remain consistently high.
Entry Requirements
Many mature students find that they have differing types of qualifications to those we typically ask for. If this applies to you – don’t panic! We’ll make sure that if your qualifications are slightly non-standard, or if you earned them many years ago, we’ll give you individual consideration to take this into account.
Funding
Whilst there are no items of funding that are specific to mature students, we recognise that your financial situation is likely to be markedly different from that of a younger student who has just left home for the first time. You may have a number of existing financial commitments, a family to support, or you may have to make the adjustment to a student income having previously been in receipt of a regular income from work.
Under the funding arrangements introduced in 2012, part‑time students can apply for increased tuition fee support. You may also be eligible to apply for student finance, and the amount available will depend on your personal circumstances and the type of course you choose. Additional support may also be available if you have children.
Mature Learners Events
Open Days
Visit one of our open days to experience the campus, speak to academic staff and meet fellow students.
Click here to book your place on our next Open Day!
Induction Sessions
Take part in our Mature Learner Induction sessions which are promoted via our Welcome Week event planner. These are informal sessions to help ease you into university life and can be attended in person or online.
Hear from our students
Hear from Learning Development
Just one of the the teams here to help you!
FAQs
Studying at university involves a lot of independent learning and there are a number of services which can help you to develop the skills for this. The Library is a great place to start familiarising yourself with – they have a lot of online resources to explore and you can even book appointments with Library staff to learn how to use their facilities and locate resources for your assignments. Explore everything the Library has to offer via their LibGuides site here.
The Learning Development team offer lots of support with developing your academic skills. They also have a range of online resources which you can access and often provide skills workshops in your classes. You can also meet with the Learning Development tutors in one-to-one appointments to get more personalised support, including getting feedback on your assignment drafts and top tips for studying effectively. For more information about what Learning Development can offer you, click here.
The Lincoln Bishop Student Advice & Wellbeing team offer a wealth of support on personal issues, including health, counselling, and finance. Check out their web page dedicated to finance for information on everything from tuition fees to applying for additional funding bursaries. Student Advice are also available for all students to meet with them one-to-one if you need more personalised advice.
We know that balancing a number of different priorities can be one of the most important challenges to tackle as a mature student. Learning Development can provide you with strategies to help develop your time management skills, and the Digital Learning team can point you in the direction of useful apps and digital resources that can also help you with this.
All Lincoln Bishop students can also expect to receive support from their subject teams, so communicating with your tutors about any issues that crop up is key. You will also be allocated a Personal Tutor in your subject, who you can meet with for more personalised academic support. For more information about Personal Tutoring at Lincoln Bishop, check out the web page here.
As part of your course, you will engage with a number of digital services and programmes, some of which may be unfamiliar to you. Blackboard is an online learning space where you’ll find all of your course materials, including Turnitin, an online submission service for submitting work. Don’t worry if that seems daunting – our Digital Learning team provide a wealth of guidance and support on how to use these services and can even meet with you one-to-one to show you how to make best use of all our digital services. You can find out more about our Digital Learning service here.
Lincoln Bishop’s IT Services can also support you with technical queries or issues, including if you have issues with computer hardware or software. Once you’re enrolled as a Lincoln Bishop student, you will have access to a number of software downloads to support you with your studies, including Microsoft Office 365. Find out more about the services and guidance provided by IT Services here.
Anxieties about fitting in with other students is a really common concern that we hear from new mature students. No need to worry, though – Lincoln Bishop is a really inclusive community with a diverse range of students from all ages and offers a lot of opportunities for all students to get involved.
The Students’ Union represents the interests of all students at Lincoln Bishop and also deliver a whole range of activities which you can get involved with. There are plenty of student clubs and societies if you have a particular hobby or interest that you want to develop – or you can set up your own! Get to know the SU members and what they do here.
The Chaplaincy team offers support and activities for all students, regardless of denomination or faith. They always have lots of fun things on offer, including Tea & Toast, quizzes, craft clubs, and much more! Visit the chaplaincy webpage here for more information or drop them an email at chaplaincy@lincolnbishop.ac.uk if you’d like to speak to them directly.
Student Engagement at Lincoln Bishop offer opportunities to get involved in projects which contribute to the ongoing development of the university. They also offer a number of paid opportunities available if you’re looking for some casual work. Student Engagement projects are a great way to have an influence on how the university runs as well as meeting like-minded people. The Student Engagement Facilitator posts a weekly round-up on the student portal of all extra-curricular opportunities on offer across the University. When you start at the University, click on the What’s On banner on the student portal to bring up the listings. Find out more about Student Engagement’s activities and projects here.
If you are a parent, you may also want to join the Lincoln Bishop Student Parents Facebook group, a supportive community of student parents at the university. Contact thehub@lincolnbishop.ac.uk for more information about this group.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us!
- Enquiries Team – courseenquiries@lincolnbishop.ac.uk
- Admissions Team – admissions@lincolnbishop.ac.uk
- Student Advice & Wellbeing Team – studentadvice@lincolnbishop.ac.uk
- Accommodation Team – accommodation@lincolnbishop.ac.uk
For anything else please contact thehub@lincolnbishop.ac.uk and we will signpost you to the correct support service.
Useful Links and Further Reading
UCAS: Mature Students | What Is A Mature Student? How Do You Get Started?
Mature students: university and funding - GOV.UK
Mature students: What you need to know | reed.co.uk
Complete University Guide: University guide for mature students
8 Great Things About Being a Mature Student at University | TopUniversities