MATURE students are being offered a helping hand to return to possibly life-changing study with a £1000 bursary from Scotland’s Rural College.

The 'Change Your Path' Bursary is available to students aged 25 and over to help towards the costs of studying on an HNC, HND or degree course.

Up to 20 bursaries will be offered to new students enrolling on a course starting in September 2019.

“A significant proportion of SRUC’s students are mature students, and many of these are returning to study in the hope of making a career or lifestyle change,” said student recruitment manager Hannah D’Mellow.

“We know that returning to study as a mature student comes with challenges, and that finance is only one of these, but we hope that our new Change Your Path Bursary will help some students manage the transition.”

The bursary will be offered to both full and part-time students, with two lump sums of up to £500 paid at Christmas and Easter in the first year.

Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2019 and will be ranked by a committee, with successful applicants notified in early September.