MAKING the decision to apply for a place at university or other third-level institution is a big step at the best of times. For a mature student it can also involve huge changes in lifestyle. You may be giving up a job to return to education, thereby suffering a significant income loss.
Being a student again will almost certainly mean that you will be studying at times when you would otherwise be participating in family life or socialising. This can become a source of conflict unless you gain the support of your family. According to AONTAS, the National Association of Adult Education, a recent UK study showed that 30 per cent of mature students who dropped out did so for family reasons.
To qualify as a mature student for the majority of courses, you should be 23 years of age on or before January 1st of the year in which you wish to enter college. However, it may vary so check with the college of your choice. Once you've made the decision, it's vital that you get as much information as possible about the courses and subjects in which you are interested.
Make sure you understand precisely what a particular course involves. You may well discover that it's less suitable than you first thought. Don't be afraid to contact the particular department to get in-depth information about any course.
Picking a course can be difficult. Weigh up your strengths, your weaknesses, your interests and your experiences. Check too whether the course is full-time, part-time or modularised.
All school-leavers apply for full-time, third-level places through the CAO/CAS Joint Application System which represents both the Central Applications Office (CAO) and the Central Admissions Service (CAS). All the universities, the RTCs, the DIT and a number of specialist colleges are members of the CAO/CAS system.
The application procedure for mature students is complicated since mature admission procedures vary from college to college. It's vital to check admission procedures of the colleges to which you wish to apply.
The vast majority of third-level institutions use the CAO/CAS system as a means of admitting mature students - but they do so as a matter of administrative convenience only. It's the third-level institutions that offer places to mature students (on an individual basis), rather than the CAO/CAS. Applications for places in colleges using the CAO/CAS system must be made by February 1st for admission the following September or October.
There are a number of colleges to which mature students must apply directly. These are (with closing dates in parentheses): Colaiste Mhuire, Marino (OPEN), All Hallows College (OPEN), NCAD (March 3rd), NCIR (April 1st), UL (April 1st), Mary Immaculate College of Education (April 1st), Froebel College of Education (April 2nd), DCU (April 2nd), St Patrick's College, Drumcondra (April 2nd), Milltown Institute (May 1st), RCSI (May 1st).
If you wish to apply to St Catherine's College of Education, Sion Hill, Dublin, or TCD, you must submit an application to the CAO/CAS and also a separate application form (obtainable from the college admission's office) directly to the college - both by February 1st.
Filling in the CAO/CAS form requires concentration. Read the handbook carefully and take a good look at page 4 of this supplement. As a mature student you are one of a number of special categories - so do be sure to tick box 7 on page 3.
Pay special attention to page 4 where you are required to give a short CV covering education, work experience, achievements, interests and motivation. A good CV, which convinces a college that you are a suitable candidate, may well ensure that you are called for interview. But be warned - in some colleges students are called for interview on the basis of computerised lottery or random selection.
School-leavers are awarded college places on the basis of their Leaving Cert results. However, mature students who are unable to satisfy the normal entry requirements may be accepted on the basis of interview and/or a portfolio of work and, in some instances, an exam or aptitude test.
Some colleges operate a quota system for mature students, but places are limited and rarely exceed 10 per cent. In 1993/94 of only 6,665 mature students who entered third-level education, fewer than 1,700 were full-time.
MONEY is a major concern for mature students. This year anyone who receives an offer of a college place on all undergraduate third-level course at a publicly-funded institution will be entitled to free fees. However, you will have to pay an up-front charge of approximately £150 for student services, registration and exams in some colleges even though last year the RTCs requested only £5.
The Department of Education operates three major full-time, third-level maintenance grant schemes. The Higher Educational Grants Scheme which is administered by the local authorities; the Vocational Education Committees Scholarship Scheme which is administered by the local VECs and mainly covers degree and non-European-Social-Fund-funded courses in the RTCs and the DIT; meanwhile the ESF-aided Third-Level Courses Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees covers a number of National Certificate and National Diploma programmes and is administered by the VECs.
Mature students may avail of these grants subject to certain conditions. They must be entering third-level education for the first time or be re-entering after a break of five years to complete a course. The grants are means-tested and closing date for all applications for the academic year 1997/98 is July 12th. The full maintenance grant for students living away from home will be £1,600, while for students living at home it will be £637.
If you're a social welfare recipient who has been receiving an unemployment or lone parents' benefit for 12 months or more, you may be eligible for the Department of Social Welfare's Full-Time Education Courses - Third-Level Allowance Pilot Scheme. Any higher education grant to which you may be entitled will be paid on top of your weekly social welfare payment.