Mature students and commuter students are both considered to be among the student characteristics that are most likely to indicate risks to equality of opportunity, and as such are included in the Office for Students (OfS) Education Equality of Opportunity Risk Register (EORR). The challenges facing mature and commuter students often intersect with other student characteristics that have been identified as risks to equality of opportunity.

While mature undergraduate students benefit from having made an active choice to return to study, they are more likely than younger students to be from groups that are underrepresented in higher education and can face different barriers in accessing and succeeding in their studies. For example, mature students are less likely to be aware of the financial support to which they might be entitled, can feel less confident than younger students in the higher education environment, be more likely to have caring responsibilities or be in work, and may be restricted to accessing educational opportunity within their geographical region (OfS, 2021). However, while mature students are more likely to commute to their place of study, which can create its own barriers, not all mature students are commuter students, and neither are all commuter students mature students.

There are multiple definitions of commuter students including those based on distance or time taken to travel from their accommodation to their place of study, or on whether they have moved away from their pre-higher education home address. Overall, around one-quarter of students live at home and commute to their place of study although there are regions and institutions where this proportion is much higher. As with mature students, young commuter students are also more likely be from groups that are underrepresented in higher education, have family or carer responsibilities and be the first generation in their family to attend higher education. They too may be restricted to accessing educational opportunity within their geographical region. There is also evidence to suggest that commuter students are less likely to have good outcomes, are less engaged and less satisfied with their educational experience (Thomas, 2019; Maguire and Morris, 2018; Thomas and Jones, 2017).

The traditional university model catered for a student body that largely consisted of young full-time live-in students. In this event Professor Liz Thomas drew on her research to highlight the key challenges faced by mature and commuter students. We then heard from a panel of NERUPI members from the University of Bristol, University of East Anglia and University of East London on their strategies to support mature and commuter students. Finally Professor Hilary McDermott from Loughborough University shared their research into the factors that can influence mature and commuter students’ decision making in relation to their continuation and completion of higher education and discuss their recommendations for action.

Event Programme

Our Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Professor Liz Thomas leads the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice (CRESJ) at the University of York, and has been researching student diversity, experiences and equitable outcomes for twenty-five years. Liz is committed to using research to improve policy, practice and equity, and will be using her research in schools and higher education to draw attention to the issues facing mature and commuter students in seeking to access and engage with higher education.

Member Practice Examples

We will also be hearing from our colleagues across the sector who are supporting mature and commuter students, and researchers who are helping us to understand their learning journeys.

Evaluating the Learning Journey of Commuter and Mature Students: the Commuter and Mature Student Experience at Loughborough University

Professor Hilary McDermott, Professor of Psychology Education, Loughborough University

Supporting Commuter Students

Debbie Lindsay, Student Money Advice and Rights (SMART) Team Manager, University of East London

Exploring the Impact of the UEA Mature Students Network on Student Awareness, Belonging, and Engagement

Gemma Standen, Widening Participation Officer for Mature Students and Callum Perry, Academic and Teaching Partner, University of East Anglia

Meet our speakers ...........

Suggested Reading

Office for Students (2021) Insight Brief: Improving opportunity and choice for mature students

Thomas, L. (2019) ‘I am just happy doing the work…..’ Commuter student engagement in the wider higher education experience Higher Education Quarterly

Maguire, D. and Morris, D. (2018) Homeward Bound: Defining, understanding and aiding ‘commuter students Higher Education Policy Institute Report 114

Thomas, L and Jones, R. (2017) Student engagement in the context of commuter students The Student Engagement Partnership

OfS Equality of Opportunity Risk Register