Authors: Stephen Billett and Anh Hai Le
Griffith University, Australia
Edition: Volume 66, Number 2, July 2026
Introduction: Across lengthening working lives, it is likely that most Australian adults will have to either broaden their occupational base, advance to a higher level in their occupations or change to another one to sustain their employability and respond to changing occupational and workplace requirements. Yet, returning to or first participating in tertiary education can be a challenging experience for many adults due to barriers associated with educational readiness, competing life commitments, and unfamiliarity with tertiary education practices. Thus, specific kinds of guidance and support may be needed to assist mature age adults engage successfully in tertiary education provisions for which they may not have been adequately prepared. This paper reports and discusses survey data provided by working age Australians about provision and practices of guidance and support for mature age students in tertiary education. Drawing on survey data from 399 educators, administrators, and student support personnel across universities, vocational education providers and other tertiary institutions, the study investigated institutional definitions of mature age students, staff perceptions, and support practices. Findings indicate that mature age students are frequently defined not by age alone but by delayed entry into tertiary education and prior work experience. The findings also reveal concerns about deficit-oriented perceptions of these students, limited institutional readiness to support their participation, and tensions between widening participation goals and institutional imperatives. While measures such as differentiated pathways, enrolment support and flexible entry processes were viewed positively, reported support often focused on recruitment and retention rather than addressing students’ educational and social needs. The paper emphasises that widening participation requires institutional readiness and supportive practices that recognise mature age students’ experiences, strengths and diverse learning needs.
Keywords: widening access, mature age students, guidance, support, tertiary participation, tertiary education
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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 66:2 The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.