Scholarships for Mature Students

21 or older when starting an undergraduate degree, or 25 or older when starting a postgraduate degree, students are usually classified as mature students.

Mature students often have spent some time out of full-time education and may be looking to change careers or return to study.

Below is a list of scholarships available to mature students. However, it is worth noting that mature students are also eligible for most regular scholarships. You can view the full list of study abroad scholarships here.

Studying in the UK

• Goldsmiths, University of London Mature Student Scholarship - A scholarship worth £3,000 (about $3,994) for students aged 25 and over who have received an offer for an undergraduate program at Goldsmiths, University of London.
• Loughborough University Mature Student Scholarship - Available to students over 21 who are studying an undergraduate program at Loughborough University.
• Women's Career Foundation - UK women aged 21 and over who have financial need and want to continue their studies at any UK university can apply for this scholarship. Younger applicants will be considered if they are studying music or dance.
• Royal Holloway Mature Student Bursary - Full-time undergraduate students aged 21 and over with a household income below £25,000 (about $33,570) can apply for this annual scholarship worth £1,000 (about $1,340). Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate program at Royal Holloway, University of London.
• Yorkshire Council for Further Education for Women - Women from Leeds and Yorkshire aged 21 and over who have secured a place on an undergraduate program at a UK university and are unable to fund it themselves can apply for this scholarship.
• Lancaster University Mature Student Scholarship - A £1,000 (about $1,340) scholarship for mature international students studying for a postgraduate degree at Lancaster University.

Studying in the US

• Ford ReStart Program Scholarship - A need-based scholarship that covers 90% of college costs. Applicants must be residents of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California, be 25 or older, and be no more than halfway through their degree program. Applicants must plan to enroll in their state of residence.
• Working Parent College Scholarship Award - A scholarship designed to support working parents currently pursuing higher education. It is open to full-time or part-time students enrolled at an accredited US postsecondary institution who have a current cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and are the resident parent of at least one minor child.
• Jeannette Rankin Scholarship - Low-income women aged 35 and older who are studying for an undergraduate degree at an accredited US higher education institution can apply. The scholarship is renewable for up to five years and is paid directly to the recipient.
• Boundless Opportunity Scholarship - Offered at selected two-year and four-year colleges and universities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, this scholarship is intended to benefit non-traditional students. Applicants must be US citizens aged at least 24.

Studying in Canada

• Bowers Family Mature Student Bursary - A bursary of C$500 (about $382) for students who have been out of full-time study for five years and are studying at a Canadian university.
• York University A.O. Miller Mature Student Bursary - A C$623 (about $487) bursary for mature students studying at York University in Toronto, Canada.
• KUCSA Mature Student Award - A C$500 (about $390) scholarship for mature students at The King's University College in Canada with an average grade of at least 70%. This award is open to both international and domestic students.

Studying in Australia

• Griffith University Mature-Age Student Beryl Stevens Memorial Bursary - A A$1,000 (about $750) bursary for mature students enrolled in programs in the Faculty of Humanities at Griffith University. Applicants must be at least 30 years old and permanent residents of Australia.
• Macquarie University Mature-Age / Non-School-Leaver Scholarship - An annual scholarship of A$5,010 (about $3,740) for mature-age or non-school-leaver undergraduate students at Macquarie University.
• Jessie Cooper Adult Women's Study Grant - Offered by Flinders University, this grant provides financial assistance to adult women who are unable to complete their degree because of financial or personal circumstances. Applicants must be in their final year of an undergraduate degree at Flinders University and be able to demonstrate that their financial and personal circumstances would prevent them from finishing.
• Venerable Archdeacon Edward Leo Hayes Adult Undergraduate Scholarship - An annual scholarship of A$3,000 (about $2,240) for mature students studying at the University of Queensland in Australia. Students must be at least 25 years old to apply.

Studying in New Zealand

• Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust Tressa Thomas Retraining Award - AUT offers this NZ$2,000 (about $1,416) award to mature women aged 25 and over so they can study and return to work or take up paid or unpaid work in the community.
• GWNZ Susan Byrne Memorial Award - This award is intended to help mature female graduates change careers. Students must be at least 35 years old to apply and must be enrolled in postgraduate study or research at a university in New Zealand or an approved university overseas. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
• Mildred C. Keir Award - A NZ$3,000 (about $2,124) scholarship to help women over 27 study so they can enter the workforce.

Studying Anywhere in the World

• Adult Students in Transition - The Executive Women's International (EWI) offers 13 scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. These scholarships are available to adult students in a period of transition. Applicants may be single parents, individuals newly entering the workforce, or displaced homemakers, and must be full-time undergraduate students.
• Charles Shelton Veterinary Medicine / Technology Scholarship - This $2,000 scholarship is available to African American students pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine or veterinary technology. Applicants must be US residents and have a GPA of at least 3.0.
• Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) - $1,000 is available to any student aged 19 or older, as long as they are enrolled at a participating college and are a US citizen or permanent resident.