STEM conference 2019: Getting them in and getting them through: Selecting supporting and mentoring non-traditional students for success in HE STEM disciplines

For non-traditional students the pathway to success in HE is strewn with barriers. For many the application process is difficult and universities’ selection processes rely heavily on evidence of previous academic attainment. Those who surmount these initial barriers are thrown into an unfamiliar world whose support structures both pastoral and academic are aimed at students direct from A-level study. This paper presents a successful Science Foundation Programme where such barriers are broken down through admissions processes pre-arrival support peer-mentoring and ongoing support into year one. Perceptions from departments have changed from stereotyping non-traditional students as problematic to positive and welcoming.