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  • Study opportunities at Bath - Foundation degrees, Short programmes
Study Opportunities

 

Studying as a Mature Student

The University of Bath welcomes students from all ages onto its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including those who have not come directly from school or college and who decide to return to study at different stages of their lives. If you choose to study here, you will enjoy an innovative and challenging degree programme that aims to provide you with the skills to succeed in the most competitive work environments. You will have access to a supportive and inspiring learning environment with superb facilities and highly rated employment prospects.

If you are aged 21 or over when you enrol on an undergraduate course, you will be considered to be a mature student. Mature students come from a variety of backgrounds, study all types of course and return to education for many different reasons. We believe that you enrich the ‘student experience’ as you are motivated, focussed and able to share skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.

Whatever your reasons for choosing higher education, we appreciate that the decision to return to education can be a difficult one and you’ve probably got a number of questions such as:

 

Find out more

 

Like all students thinking about applying to university, you may need information, support and guidance in order to make an informed decision. As a mature student, you may also have particular concerns and reservations about returning to learning.

The following information is, therefore, designed to reassure and help answer some of those questions whilst pointing you in the right direction for further information where necessary.

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Applying to the University of Bath

We offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University of Bath. The University also runs a number of Continuing Professional Development courses for those of you looking to further your knowledge within a particular professional field.

We actively encourage applications from mature students. You should, however, refer to our Prospectus for specific entry requirements to each course. You will need to provide evidence of recent study to maximise your chances of receiving an offer. Our mature students come with a variety of qualifications, including Access to HE Diplomas and Open University qualifications.

When applying through UCAS, your personal statement is the ideal place to demonstrate your understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject you have chosen and demonstrate the relevance of your qualifications, life experiences and skills to the course/profession.

Mature students are often invited to interview. This will provide you with the opportunity to further demonstrate your suitability for your chosen course. It will also give you the chance to ask questions and explore the University to help you make the decision about whether it is the right place and the right course for you. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of an interview but do spend a little time preparing so that you are able to talk about your motivations and experience confidently, and ask the questions that will help you make the right decision.

Accommodation

Some mature students choose to live at home whilst they study in order to save money, or be with their families. However, you are very welcome to apply University of Bath accommodation. We appreciate that your accommodation needs may differ from those of a school leaver and therefore encourage you to email our accommodation office at accom-ug@rt.bath.ac.uk to discuss your particular situation. They will be able to provide advice on University and private sector accommodation.

If you decide to live in private accommodation, the Advice and Representation Centre in the Students’ Union can also offer you advice and information and you may find the Bath Student Accommodation Guide helpful in your search.

Childcare

If you require childcare while you are studying, you might like to take advantage of our nursery on campus which offers discounted rates to students. You may also be entitled to help with childcare costs from the Government: the amount you receive will depend on your household income and is based on 85% of your actual childcare costs.

Financial matters

You may be aware that in common with many universities, our fees increased in 2012. You may be able to take out a student loan to pay for your fees, which you will start re-paying after graduation and once you are earning over £21,000. You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan and, dependent on household income, a non-repayable grant to help with your living costs. The household income that is assessed will depend on whether you are classified as a dependent or independent student, see Directgov’s guidance on this.

Part-time students on a low income and certain groups of full-time students may be eligible for benefits. These include Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Directgov has more information on who is eligible and what you may be able to claim.

Depending upon your personal circumstances, you may also be eligible for a fee waiver, bursary or scholarship. Mature students are entitled to apply for these and will be considered against the eligibility criteria outlined on the website. If you have any questions please email ask-admissions@bath.ac.uk.

You may wish to supplement your income with part time work. There are lots of opportunities to find work in and around Bath. Between 1,500 and 2,000 students at the University of Bath work on-campus each year, while an estimated 2,000 work outside the University. Many students also take the opportunity to work during the university holidays.

Student support

As a mature student, drawing on your life’s experiences can help you to succeed in your academic studies. Nonetheless, if you have been out of education for a few years, you may be faced with particular challenges. There are a range of resources available to help you to make the most of your time at the University of Bath, but those that may be especially useful for mature students are picked out below:

Student Support provides a wealth of services for all students from student funding to health and wellbeing advice.

The University offers a wide variety of academic support services to ensure that all students are able to succeed on their courses. These include providing a designated personal tutor whose purpose is to support your academic and personal development; mathematics and statistics help; support and advice through the Advice and Representation Centre and transferable skills training through SORTED student trainers.

You can also get to know fellow mature students at the University through the Mature Student Group, which is run by the Students’ Union. This group organises induction activities during Induction Week and then arranges regular get-togethers throughout the year, providing an ideal opportunity for you to meet other students with similar circumstances. The MSG have representatives on various committees in the Students’ Union and the University, thus ensuring that your views are heard. They will try to help with any issues that you may face as a mature student and also offer mentoring for new students.

Contact us

If you would like to come and look around the campus, find out more about our courses and our facilities and talk to current students and lecturers, consider attending one of our Open Days. These take place in June and September. To chat in more detail about studying at Bath as a mature student, visit us on the Mature Student Stand in the main hall. If you would like to visit the University at a different time, please contact Admissions and we would be happy to assist you with making arrangements.

You are welcome to email us on maturestudents@bath.ac.uk if you have any further questions.

You should note that we have also included links to useful external organisations which we think you may find helpful.

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