CAO sees a boom in mature applicants

Already this year 12,000 mature students have applied to the CAO for a college place next year.

The economic recession has meant that more people than ever are choosing to return to education, with the economic downturn offering up a whole new category of people who are returning to study out of obligation.

Peter Mannion, president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), says there has been an upsurge in numbers of people applying to the CAO which could affect the points levels for courses next year.

He told the College View that currently 10% of the college population is mature and that, “given there is no cap on the number of people applying to university but there are a certain amount of places in each course… this could most definitely affect the points for courses.”

Mannion says that there is now a re-focus in universities on “the growing mature student community”.

Eimer Sheerin, the mature student officer in NUI Maynooth says she thinks that returning to study is a great option for people, as it means that over the next three to four years when the economy begins to improve, Ireland will be gifted with a strong workforce.

However, the cost of attending third level education is high, and those who have lost their jobs may not financially have the option of applying to higher education.

A recent report by the ESRI highlights the basic costs of returning to college for the mature student stating that, “mature students regarded the lack of financial resources as a problem in their participation in higher education.”

Although mature students are eligible for grants, previously those in receipt of the Back To Education Allowance could also apply for the Higher Education Grant, but in the recent budget it outlined that this is not now the case.

Sheerin says that this is a big backward step: “At this stage people should be encouraged to go back to education and this announcement has immediately made it harder for people applying to third level education… it can’t help taking this away, the financial incentives were there to cater for the mature student,” she says.

Peter Mannion also expressed his disappointment over the budget saying that, “come next September it will be extremely difficult… financial aid will be one of the main concerns for mature students.”