Mature students
A supportive community for mature students
Whether you're returning after a career break or trying something new, mature students achieve real success at St Mary’s – balancing their studies alongside work, family and other life commitments.
Many of our mature students bring valuable experience from their professional and personal lives, and we recognise the important contribution adults returning to education make to our learning environment.
One in five of our students is over 21 when they begin their degree, and they come from a wide range of backgrounds. On our degree programmes, you'll almost certainly find like-minded students on a similar journey to you.
What support is available for mature students?
From careers advice to funding options, you’ll have access to a wide range of support services throughout your time with us.
Your personal tutor will work closely with you to support your academic progress, while our daily drop-in skills workshops help you build confidence in writing, IT and numeracy. Many programmes also offer additional subject-specific sessions to give you that extra boost when you need it.
Our Student Services team has extensive experience supporting adults returning to education. We understand that you may be balancing study with work, family or other commitments, and we’ll help you manage those pressures with personalised advice.
For further information, please visit our Student Life and Student Support sections.
What's the timetable for mature students?
For many mature students, especially those with families or work commitments, the biggest question is – will I have the time?
The teaching day depends on the course you’re studying – some students come to campus two or three days per week, for around a total of eight to ten hours.
Your timetable will depend on your course, but academic staff are empathetic to students with outside commitments and try to be as accommodating as possible. Sometimes sessions are repeated during the week, and you may be able to choose the most convenient group.
Am I ready for further study?
Subject knowledge
The entry requirements and level of background knowledge you need will vary from course to course. For science courses, a good level of understanding and knowledge is often essential. In other areas, the emphasis may be more on commitment to the course. Contact the course programme director if you have any concerns about your suitability.
Study skills
To be a successful mature student, you need to manage your time effectively, be able to read, listen, and process information, communicate verbally and in writing, and feel confident using information technology. These skills aren’t only developed through formal study – you may already have built them through work, volunteering, or personal interests. If you have any questions or concerns, our team will be happy to talk them through with you.
Pre-university courses like Access are designed to develop the relevant subject skills needed to study at university. You can search for access courses on the UCAS website.
Being a mature student at St Mary's
Award-winning archaeologist, presenter, filmmaker, and content creator Natasha Billson was a mature student at St Mary’s. Natasha has featured in a number of TV shows, including Channel 4’s The Great British Dig.
Natasha worked in the heritage sector for over a decade before starting her MA in Public History with us. As she started taking on more public history projects in her work, she wanted a postgraduate programme in the field to expand her knowledge. Here’s what she has to say about being a mature student at St Mary’s.
Our local area
We're in one of London's safest boroughs, Richmond-upon-Thames. Nestled next to Strawberry Hill House, we're an easy walk or bus ride away from several neighbourhoods steeped in culture and history.
Students at St Mary’s University benefit from convenient transport links for commuting and travel. The 33 bus stops directly outside the campus and runs regularly through Teddington, Twickenham and Richmond, providing easy access to nearby towns and local amenities. Strawberry Hill train station is also only a short walk from campus. Served by the South Western Railway line, Strawberry Hill offers frequent services to London Waterloo and other surrounding areas such as Kingston, making it easy for students to travel both locally and into central London. Walking and cycling routes are also popular for short journeys.
Our London campus
Our London campus has everything you need in one place. You’ll have access to great sports facilities, including an Olympic-standard running track, a fully equipped fitness centre and plenty of pitches, along with modern academic spaces such as specialist labs, a 24/7 library and a media production suite.
At the centre of our campus, you can find our commuter lounge, with kitchen facilities, lockers and a comfy seating area. The lounge was created specifically to give students who don’t live on campus an extra place to meet new people and rest in between lectures.
There’s also on-site accommodation and dining, a chapel, and a 60-station Esports arena, so it’s easy to feel right at home on campus.
Support for parents
Childcare
While we don’t have an on-site nursery, there’s a large amount in the nearby area, and you can apply for a parent grant which covers some of the childcare costs.
SIMMSport camps
SIMMSport is a fun, high quality sports programme that delivers weekly coaching sessions and holiday camps for children aged 5-12 (typically reception - year 7). Children of all abilities are welcomed into an environment that provides every young person with high quality coaching from St Mary’s students.
Financial support
There are several ways to finance your studies, through loans, savings, parental/partner support and part-time work. Some students will also be eligible for grants (if you have children or adult dependents).
St Mary's University Student Hardship Fund
The St Mary's Hardship Fund is a cash-limited fund to support students who need additional financial help to meet particular costs not being met by statutory (or other) sources of funding.
Scholarships and bursaries
St Mary's provides a variety of scholarships and bursaries to students. For more information on our scholarships and bursaries, please visit our dedicated webpages.
Get in touch
If you would like any more information about the financial support available to you, please visit our Student Funding Service.
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