Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what definition his Department uses for a mature (a) full-time student and (b) part-time student.

The department uses the definition and data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA generally classes undergraduates as young if they are under 21 years of age on entry, and mature if they are 21 or over. Postgraduates are classed as young if they are under 25 years of age on entry, and mature if they are 25 or over.

The term “full-time” is used by HESA to refer to any student required to attend a higher education provider for at least 24 weeks within the year of study and to undertake tuition, study or work experience for an average of at least 21 hours per week. It also includes those enrolled on any sandwich course.

More information on the definitions that HESA uses can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/definitions/students.