What support is available for mature students?
If you are aged 21 or over and about to start an undergraduate course or aged 25+ starting a postgraduate course, you are officially recognised as a mature student. 14% of our undergraduate student population are mature learners, so whether you are returning to education for career progression, personal development or to pursue an interest, you are welcome here at Surrey.
Mature learner cafés
You have the opportunity to come along to a Mature Learners Café, to meet other mature students, network and get involved with university life. Our first Café is usually in welcome week where you can opt in to join our mailing list.
Adora
The University has partnered with Adora which provides support for anyone going through menopause or is supporting anyone through menopause.
Inside Adora you will find:
- Personalised chat so you can get to the heart of your menopause symptoms quickly
- Direct and confidential access to NHS gynaecologists and women’s health specialists
- An interactive, easy-to-use symptom tracker and menopause toolkit - tracking your symptoms will enable you to find out what strategies work for you
- Lifestyle tips, video-guided exercises, and the latest news - in all areas, from gut health, nutrition, and fitness to sex, libido, and pelvic health
- Regular live events with top women’s health experts
Financial and technological support
If you require financial assistance you can apply for the Hardship Fund, and the Access to Learning Fund for money towards books and other learning equipment (such as PPE) for your programme.
You can also take advantage of our long-term Laptop Loan Scheme where you can rent a laptop for a whole semester or, at times, a whole academic year.
Sports
If finances are a barrier to joining in with sports at Surrey, you may be eligible as a care leaver/care experienced student to access funding to support with this. Referral is required by a member of staff, such as your personal tutor, the Students’ Union, Student Success and EDI team, Centre for Wellbeing, or MySurrey Hive. You can raise an enquiry with the MySurrey Hive team via Surrey Support, selecting "Other" as your enquiry topic to begin this process.