The introduction of Law 64/2006 allowed creating alternative forms of access to HigherEducation (HE), leading to a significant increase of mature students at Higher EducationInstitutions (HEI). From the academic year of 2006/07 on, Portuguese HEI implementedan alternative access to students with 23 years old or more. These mature students couldapply even without completing their secondary studies. After a written test that includesa general and a specific scientific component (done and evaluated by the universitystaff), the professional experience and training of the students are assessed, and anindividual interview is conducted. In Portugal more than 86.000 mature students wereapproved since the year of 2006 by the HEI; despite the fact that a lesser number ofstudents are effectively enrolled in HE (GPEARI/MEC, 2011). It seems a fact thataccess was made easier to students that traditionally were not at the university. Buteasier access means little if nothing is done to tackle the traditional problems ofdrop-out and retention that are commonly associated to non-traditional students in HE.It is time, therefore, to go beyond access and get a deeper understanding on the mainobstacles mature students face while in HE, or how they perceive the factors thatinfluence both the learning and the teaching processes. This will allow us to producesome recommendations to improve mature students’ academic success.
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