Becoming a mature student: How adult appplicants weigh the advantages and disadvantages of higher education

The data presented in this paper is taken from the results of two much larger studies of mature student decision-making and Higher Education ( HE), which consider processes of agency from initial consideration of the possibility of becoming a student to eventually becoming one. In this paper, six categories of applicant to HE are discussed: 'Delayed traditional students', 'Late starters' who have undergone a life-transforming event e. g. redundancy or divorce and require 'a new start'. 'Single parents' 'Careerists', who are currently in employment who seek a qualification to make progress in their existing careers, 'Escapees' who are currently in employment who want a qualification as a way out of 'dead-end' jobs. Finally, the 'personal growers', a small number pursuing education for its own sake. These categories of applicants are discussed in light of the factors that both catalyse and inhibit individuals' decision-making during application to HE.