From prison education to policy reform: the mature student leading change at UEA
By: Communications
A mature student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is proving that a passion to make a difference doesn’t fade with time.
Carole Taylor, 72, joined the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2023 after a storied life forging a career, raising a family, dealing with personal tragedy, and pursuing activism – with no signs of slowing down.
Throughout her work life, Carole has gained a variety of qualifications, including within the counselling and youth work sectors.
In her early seventies she decided to enrol at university for an undergraduate degree - initially joining on a Foundation Year before starting her BA(Hons) in English Literature and Creative writing in 2024.
Carole said: “Since starting my degree I’ve never felt fitter and it’s the sense of purpose and the relationship to my fellow students that has given that to me.
“In society it can feel like a person retires and it’s almost a given that they're banished to a care home long before they need it.”
A lifetime of activism
Although already fully invested in activism and societal reform, it was dealing with the addiction and ultimate loss of her son to drugs at the age of 35, that really sparked Carole to utilise her experience to support others and push for change.
Carol works with the family of addicts, and those living with the disease themselves, by volunteering with Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon – the charity that supports the families and friends of alcoholics.
Another of Carole’s long-term interests, developed whilst a prison educator at Norwich prison and evolving to this day, is around the use of literature to explore addiction issues.
In 2024, Carole entered UEA’s Changemakers competition, which sees students develop business ideas that benefit people and the planet, with successful ideas receiving funding, a training package, and mentorship to help turn their ideas into a viable venture.
Although still in the business planning stage, Carol describes her long-term vision of “a creative writing workshop within prison that facilitates prisoner input into books I write for children with an addicted parent or parents.”
Supporting other students and campaigning for government change
Now at the beginning of her second year, Carole has been voted into a role with UEA’s Student’s Union as the Mature Students Officer.
Believing passionately that age is no barrier to a person’s academic enrichment, Carole has taken on the cause of pushing back against the government's decision to stop student finance access for over-60s, including being interviewed on the subject by The Telegraph in June.
Whilst undergraduate funding does currently exist for over 60s, the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) in January 2027 will mark the loss of tuition fee loan eligibility.
Under the current system, students aged 60 or over on the first day of their course are not eligible for government-funded Postgraduate Master’s loans or Doctoral loans.
Although mature students in this category may still access things like the Disabled Students’ Allowance (regardless of age), Charitable grants and bursaries, and Advanced Learner Loans for certain non-degree qualifications.
Carol said: “The question of funding is one of our biggest challenges with Master’s funding out of reach for us over sixties. This presents a major block to our hopes and dreams.”
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