It’s Never Too Late to Learn

Return to study later in life (UK).

Published in

ILLUMINATION

5 min readJun 19, 2024

A study by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) found that in 2021/2022, 23% of students in Higher Education were over 30 years old.

The definition of a mature student is a student aged over the age of 21. It is hardly old. By this definition, 63% of UK-domiciled students are considered mature students, which is 48% of undergraduates and the figures suggest this number is growing.

The figure for over 30’s, in the HESA study, showed that the number of students in Higher Education rose from 488,780 in 2017/18 to 645,680 in 2021/22. An increase of almost a third (32.1%).

So, your chances of being the oldest in your class are slim. But even if you are, what’s wrong with that? Someone has to be the oldest, so why not you? You may find it gives you that extra kudos with your peers.

In 2009, at the age of 39, I returned to University to complete a PGDE in Primary Education. There were many other students my age, and older. Some were even near retirement age!

The oldest student I knew was 82! I was privileged to watch him graduate with his degree in Cultural History to his peers’ rapturous applause and cheers. He was a legend.

I met him one day at a bus stop. I asked him what made him want to study at this point in his life and his answer was brilliant.

He lived in a big house on the University campus, by himself. He realised that if he returned to University as a full-time student he would not have to pay the expensive Council Tax on his property.

He also rented rooms in his house to International Students, who were also exempt from Council Tax, and they provided him with company, entertainment, and the joy one gets from learning about someone else’s life and culture.

He also had the added benefit of keeping his mind and body active. Our campus was ancient, with cobbled streets and stairs everywhere. By becoming a very mature student he had enriched his life beyond measure.

Why study now?

If you want to study, then why not? There’s very little job security out there anyway, even in jobs that are considered ‘secure’, there is always a risk of streamlining or your role becoming obsolete.

Perhaps you need a lifestyle change. One of the main factors in my studying a PGDE (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education) in Primary Education was to give me the potential to earn a decent salary while raising my teenage son as a single parent. I already had a degree, so 1 year (well, 8 months really) of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants study and placement and I was retrained.

I could have chosen to do nothing different that year, but that decision took my life in a whole new direction. I also had a brilliant time with my classmates and the kids and staff I met on placement. I feel that I gifted myself that year.

Undergraduate Student

Perhaps you have always wanted to study but for whatever reason you didn’t get around to it. Or perhaps you want a complete change and learn something brand new.

If you are feeling ready for it, why not do it? And if you don’t feel ready, then perhaps it is time to put into action the steps you need to get you there. This is your one go around at this life after all.

Sure it may take you three or four years to complete but what else are you going to be doing in that time? Will you let the years roll by and think in a few years that you could have changed your life but didn’t, or will you take action?

The HESA Study stated that in 2021/22, 260,110 students over the age of 30 started their first degree. That is 10% of the total number of students taking their first degree.

What I will say about Higher Education, is you have to do it. There is help along the way if you really need it but this is as much about you taking responsibility for yourself as studying the course.

The best place to start, in my opinion, is to attend an Open Day at the locations that are of interest to you. Go and find out about courses you’ve never heard of. There are some amazing education opportunities for professions I hadn’t heard of until I was much older and, if I had my time again, I might have chosen something different.

Check out UCAS.com. The one-stop shop for all things Higher Education. Most undergraduate courses filter their applications through this website and it is a mine of information about courses, funding and student life.

Postgraduate Study

Being a mature student as a Postgraduate Student is much more common, naturally. The HESA Study states that 37% of postgraduate students in 2021/22 were aged 30 and over.

Postgraduate study in the UK is an expensive business. There are some funding opportunities though and you should check with the institution you are applying to what they have to offer.

If you are applying for a healthcare course, you may be eligible for bursary funding. This differs across the nations of the UK.

Many more postgraduate courses are online now and some can be taken at your pace. Most universities have payment arrangements with students to pay for tuition in instalments.

The big advantage of postgraduate study is it is considerably quicker than undergraduate courses. However, the workload is heavier and you should consider this before forking out thousands of your hard-earned pounds.

However, postgraduate study may be just what you need to turn your career around or even just to satisfy some longing in you.

An MLitt in Medieval History may not have the same professional sway as a MEng in Chemical Engineering, but this is about what you want. Don’t be ashamed to follow your heart on this. You will do better if you take a course you have a deep interest in.

After all, life is to be lived, and it could be one of the best decisions you ever make. You're worth investing in.