Cartoonist Mart Bucella once said: “When it comes to staying young a mind lift beats a face lift any day”
The message is that it is never too late to come back to learning. Clearly this is a message that is getting through. Over 10,000 mature applicants have registered their interest in undertaking study with the CAO this year. According to the Higher Education authority around 19% of total new entrants to higher education are mature learners.
‘Mature’ means a student over 23 years of age by the 1st of January on year of entry. There is a wide span of ages but at NCI we have students up to 80 years of age.
A New You
Mature students coming back to education are vital for our economy: workers must re-skill and government has a stated target of upskilling 500,000 people by 2020. Fine, you might say, but what can it do for me?
Most mature students come back to education for one of the following reasons:
* to move up in their job or change career
* to get back in the workforce having lost a job
* to pursue educational opportunities they felt they had missed out on due to family or work commitments
* to follow a long held passion to learn more about a particular subject
* to develop their confidence and meet people
Our experience is that returning as a mature student can really change people’s lives. I recently met a student Denis Cahill who worked as a plumber and came back to do a business course. His story is typical:
“Returning to the classroom was intimidating at first but the tutors, staff and fellow students have all been so encouraging and inspiring. I have been amazed by what I can achieve. The changes extend far beyond the classroom: I have more confidence, my communication skills have improved and I find it easier to interact with my children. This is my second course at NCI and when I finish, I want to go on and study something new.”
Will there be any pain?
Of course it can be scary at first. Potential students, whether they are 25 or 65, are often nervous. For example, many may not have completed their leaving certificate and are worried that this might exclude them from further study. It doesn’t. Others may have years of work experience but no qualifications. The funny thing is once they get started mature students often do better than their younger counterparts. The mature student knows what they want. They bring with him or her life experiences allied with determination and focus, all of which are conducive to successful learning. The ‘mature student’ very often becomes the ‘ideal student’!
Options
Full-Time
Many students will choose to do a Post Leaving Certificate or Further Education and Training course leading to FETAC awards. There are colleges and institutions all over the country offering FETAC courses. Many students will then choose to use their FETAC award to study full-time at third level. Applicants with FETAC awards applying for full time study must apply through the CAO where higher education institutions (including universities, institutes of technology and private colleges) are offering places on a variety of courses. Details are available through the FETAC and CAO websites.
If you are over 23 you can also apply directly to some third level colleges (as listed in the CAO handbook) for entry to many Certificate and Degree programmes. For other colleges you must apply through the CAO. Entry will be assessed on prior qualifications but can also consider your work and life experiences. Many colleges participate in the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning scheme. The college will evaluate your experience and you may be accepted onto a course on that basis. This is particularly attractive to those wishing to pursue a course relevant to their work but where they do not have formal qualifications.
Part–Time
For other students part-time study may be the best option. All the major institutions have part-time programmes. The best way of finding out is to visit their websites or attend an open evening and get their advice. The next open evening at NCI is Thursday 9th of July at 5pm.
Help is at hand
Two frequently asked questions are around the support available and funding. At NCI and other colleges there are student support officers that can help you make the transition and return to study. Many colleges also provide childcare options and other facilities to help mature learners.
In terms of funding for full-time study under the terms of the free tuition fees scheme (as it currently operates), mature students are entitled to free tuition fees as long as they are first-time undergraduate students on full-time courses. They are also eligible to apply for maintenance grants, and some may be eligible for allowances such as the Back to Education allowance. Tax relief is available for fees paid for part-time study.
So whether it’s the quick nip and tuck of a short evening course or the full scale enhancement of a full-time postgraduate course, coming back to the classroom is not nearly as scary as going under the knife.
Robert Ward is Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment at National College of Ireland in Dublin’s IFSC. The National College of Ireland offers full and part-time courses in business, human resources, finance, computing and psychology. NCI operates these courses from its state-of-the-art Docklands campus and you are always welcome to drop by to discuss your training and education needs.