Fewer over-25s try university

University applications among those aged 25 and over have dropped by 14.4% over the last year, according to higher education applications service UCAS. This is more than double the average overall drop of 6.4% and is a cause for concern at NIACE, the leading organisation for adult learning in England and Wales.

NIACE principal officer Alastair Thomson said: “The interim statistics show a worrying drop in participation among those aged 25 and over. Mature students are often trying to balance work and family commitments and are traditionally more risk averse, so recent changes to the fee structure are significant for this group.”

NIACE will be monitoring forthcoming statistics and the application rate of adults aged 25 and over “as this may highlight important lessons around the introduction of loans for further education at level 3 and above from 2013.”