There are scholarships for mature students littered all over the internet, some of these scholarships are annual.
But before we look at these scholarships, it is important that we make it clear who a mature student is. Who is a mature student?
Generally, you are considered a mature student if you are at least 23 years of age on the 1st of January, the year you plan to start your course and you are starting college for the first time.
In this article, we shall be looking at the scholarships for mature students and the study options for mature students.
Study options for mature students
- Full-time study
- Part-time options
- Modular programmes
- Distance learning
- University access programmes
Full-time study
Third-Level colleges reserve a small number of places for mature students, especially for those who want to do a full-time day course.
If you are aged over 23, you can apply for a place, but, you will have to compete for your place who are just leaving school on a different basis.
It is important to also note that the spaces reserved for mature students are limited, so it is likely that you will be competing with your peers also.
Opting for full-time study means you will be expected to attend classes or lectures every day and that also means you will be assessed in the same way as the other students on your course.
Part-time options
The part-time option is for students who do not want to study full-time. Choosing to study on a part-time basis means that you can spread your studies over a number of years.
This gives you the opportunity to study when it is convenient for you, as well as help you organize your time.
The part-time option takes longer to complete than the full-time option, but the only advantage is that it allows you to work at your own pace, while your credit towards your qualification is built.
Modular programmes
There are modular programs. Each modular program is made up of separate modules. Modules are self-contained units within a course.
You can study and complete each module separately at different stages during that course.
Modular programs can take place in regular classroom settings or can be part of a distance learning program. In some universities, modular courses are available at the degree level.
Distance learning
As you must have known, distance-learning takes place away from the tutor and the physical classroom.
So as a mature student who is taking part in a distance learning program, you might be using different learning materials and media throughout your course.
University access programmes
University access programmes aim to increase the participation of under-represented groups at the third level.
They support young adults and mature students to study at third-level colleges.
Scholarships For Mature Students in the UK
Goldsmiths, University of London: Mature Students Scholarship
Goldsmiths, University of London: Mature Students Scholarship is a scholarship with a value of £3,000 (approx. $3,994), available to students over the age of 25 with an offer to study an undergraduate course at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Loughborough University Mature Student Scholarship
Loughborough University Mature Student Scholarship is available to students over the age of 21to study an undergraduate course at Loughborough University.
Women Careers Foundation
Women Careers Foundation– British women who are over the age of 21 who are in financial need and want to further their education at any UK university are qualified to apply for this scholarship.
However, if you are a younger applicant who is taking courses in music and dance, you can be considered.
Royal Holloway’s Access Entry Mature Students Bursary
Royal Holloway’s Access Entry Mature Students Bursary is for full-time undergraduate students over the age of 21 with a household income of less than £25,000 (approx. US$33,570).
They can apply for this scholarship of £1,000 (approx. US$1,340) per year.
To be eligible, students must be enrolled on an undergraduate course at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Yorkshire Ladies Council for Education
Yorkshire Ladies Council for Education is for women who are over the age of 21 from Leeds and Yorkshire and who have a place on an undergraduate course at a British University but are unable to finance it themselves.
Lancaster University Mature Student Scholarship
Lancaster University Mature Student Scholarship is one of the scholarships for mature students(mature international students) who are enrolling in a postgraduate degree at Lancaster University.
The scholarship is valued at £1,000 (approx. US$1,340).
Scholarships For Mature Students in the US
Ford ReStart Program Scholarship
Ford ReStart Program Scholarship is a need-based scholarship that covers 90 per cent of college costs.
Applicants must be residents of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California, aged 25 years or older, and no more than halfway through their degree program.
Also, to be eligible, applicants must plan to enrol in their state of residence.
Working Parent College Scholarship Award
Working Parent College Scholarship Award is a scholarship designed to help working parents who are currently enrolled in higher education.
This scholarship is available to full or part-time students who attend an accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institution.
Applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and is a residential parent of at least one minor child.
Jeannette Rankin Scholarship
Jeannette Rankin Scholarship is for low-income women, aged 35 and above and studying an undergraduate course in an accredited US higher education institution.
This scholarship is renewable for up to 5 years and distributed directly to the recipients.
Boundless Opportunity Scholarship
Boundless Opportunity Scholarship is a scholarship available at two- and four-year colleges and universities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming which is designed to benefit non-traditional students.
However, applicants must be citizens who are at least 24 years old.
Scholarships For Mature Students in Canada
Bowers Family Mature Student Bursary
Bowers Family Mature Student Bursary is a bursary of CA$500 (approx.$382) that is available for students who have been out of full-time studies for five years and are studying at a Canadian university.
York University’s A.O Miller Bursary for Mature Students
York University’s A.O Miller Bursary for Mature Students is worth CA$623 (approx. US$487). It is a bursary available for mature students who are enrolled in a course at York University in Toronto, Canada.
KUCSA Mature Student Award
KUCSA Mature Student Award is one of the scholarships for mature students.
Canada’s Kings Western University is offering a CA$500 (approx. US$390) scholarship to mature students with grades of a minimum 70 per cent average.
This award is open to domestic and international students.
Scholarships For Mature Students in New Zealand
Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust Tressa Thomas Retraining Award
Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust Tressa Thomas Retraining Award is a NZ$2,000 (approx. US$1,416) award at Auckland University of Technology for mature women, aged 25 and above, to undertake study in order to return to a profession or take up work (paid or unpaid) in the community.
The GWNZ Susan Byrne Memorial Award
The GWNZ Susan Byrne Memorial Award: This NZ$10,000 (approx. US$7080) award aims to help mature female graduates make a change in their careers.
Students must be at least 35 years old in order to apply and must be enrolled for post-graduate or research at an approved university in New Zealand or overseas.
Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
The Mildred Keir Award
The Mildred Keir Award is a NZ$3,000 (approx. US$2124) scholarship to help women over 27 years old study in order to enter the workplace.
Scholarships For Mature Students in Australia
- Beryl Stevens Memorial Bursary for Mature Age Students at Griffith University
- Macquarie University Mature Age/Non-Current School Leaver Scholarship
- Jessie Cooper Study Grants for Mature Entry Women
- Venerable Archdeacon Edward Leo Hayes Adult Undergraduate Scholarship
Beryl Stevens Memorial Bursary for Mature Age Students at Griffith University
Beryl Stevens Memorial Bursary for Mature Age Students at Griffith University: A AU$1,000 (approx. US$750) bursary within the school of Humanities at Griffith University. meant for mature students.
To apply you must be over 30 years old and a permanent resident in Australia.
Macquarie University Mature Age/Non-Current School Leaver Scholarship
Macquarie University Mature Age/Non-Current School Leaver Scholarship is an annual scholarship of AU$5,010 (approx. US$3,740), that is available for mature age students, as well as non-school leaver students who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree at Macquarie University.
Jessie Cooper Study Grants for Mature Entry Women
Jessie Cooper Study Grants for Mature Entry Women is a grant offered by Flinders University.
This grant provides financial assistance for mature age women who are facing financial or personal circumstances that are preventing them from finishing their degrees.
Applying students must be in the last year of their undergraduate degree at Flinders University and be able to demonstrate their circumstances will inhibit the completion of their degree.
Venerable Archdeacon Edward Leo Hayes Adult Undergraduate Scholarship
Venerable Archdeacon Edward Leo Hayes Adult Undergraduate Scholarship is one of the scholarships for mature students who are studying at the University of Queensland in Australia.
It is an annual scholarship worth AU$3,000 (approx. US$2,240). Students must be over the age of 25 to apply.
Scholarships For Mature Students anywhere in the world
Adult Students in Scholastic Transition: Executive Women International (EWI) are offering 13 scholarships ranging from US$2,000 to US$10,000.
This is one of the scholarships for mature students or adult students at transition points in their lives.
Applicants might just be entering the workforce, might be single parents, or displaced homemakers, but to be eligible, they must be studying full-time at the undergraduate level.
Charles Shelton Veterinarian Medicine/Technology Scholarship is a US$2,000 scholarship is available to African American students who are pursuing a degree in veterinarian medicine or veterinarian technology.
Applicants for this scholarship must be US residents and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) is worth US$1,000 and is available for students over the age of 19 who are enrolled at a participating college and are US citizens or permanent residents.
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