Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The new academic year reveals an average student age of 22.2 at Limburg universities PXL, UCLL, and UHasselt, highlighting regional education trends.
The fact that nearly 10% are over 30 and some outliers are even older than 60 is startling.
“We’re seeing a lot of respect from the young students,”
these seniors testify.
This academic year, the average student age at UHasselt is 22. Five students are over 65, and 6.5% are over 30. At seventy-four, Bert Verleysen, a doctoral student from Bilzen, is the oldest of the group.
“I don’t really like the term ‘lifelong learning,’ because it sounds like imprisonment,”
laughs Verleysen, who is pursuing a doctorate as an independent student.
“I prefer to call it ‘lifelong learning.’ Initially, my presence in the classroom did draw some surprised looks, but it’s also led to some interesting conversations. I feel good about it, and it keeps me young. Although I do often get a ‘reality check’ in that regard when I look in the mirror (laughs).”
Bert was inspired by his four grandchildren to delve back into his textbooks.
“Because I often wonder what kind of world they’ll be entering,”
he explains.
“That’s why I see it as my challenge to provide guidance to future leaders. After all, they have a great responsibility. I want to help them create a better context in which to work and live.”
Another notable senior at Hasselt University is Karel Wieers, 69 years old. The former alderman of Lommel, where he still serves on the city council, has just started studying Social Sciences. The retired lawyer is taking a few courses there, purely out of interest.
“When my term as alderman wasn’t renewed, I had to fill a void that had disappeared,”
Karel explains.
“I quickly decided on this program because I feel I can still learn a great deal here. That’s what I’m all about. The degree itself doesn’t interest me as much; I just want to learn.”
Karel is 50 years older than his fellow students. He was pleasantly surprised by their respect for him.
“I have to adjust my image of ‘the youth,”
he says.
“I’m shocked at how correct and friendly they are. Digitally, I do fall short compared to my fellow students. They can create a PowerPoint presentation in just 5 minutes, which I can’t manage. So I’m still looking for a younger ‘buddy’ who can guide me in this, and I’ll find one.”
The average age of PXL students is 21.9 years, which is comparable to that of UHasselt students. 10.37% of students at Hasselt University are 30 years of age or older, while 20.8 percent are 25 years of age or older. The 64-year-old Martine Deferme, who is pursuing a professional bachelor’s degree in applied psychology, has the distinction of oldest PXL student. Martine is currently in her last three years of school.
“I’m a perpetual student,”
says Martine.
“Until I retired last year, I worked as a midwife, interacting with people of all ages. I was always interested in how the brain and human interactions work. That continued to fascinate me, so I went back to studying. At my age, it’s tough, but thanks to the support of the people around me, I’m still succeeding. That way, I keep surprising myself.”
Last but not least, the average student age at the UCLL campuses in Diepenbeek, Hasselt, and Genk is the highest at 22.8 years old, to be exact. Eleven percent are over thirty, sixteen percent are over twenty-five, and the oldest student is sixty-eight.
What factors explain a 22.2 average age at these universities?
Typically, students begin university when they are about 18 years old after completing secondary education and studying full-time for a bachelor’s degree, which takes 3-4 years leading to an average age of around 21-22 for most undergraduate programs.
The majority of students fall into the traditional-age category, but a mature student or non-traditional age group may occur as students may only enter university later or take a gap year extending their time outside the education system, modestly increasing the average age of an undergraduate student.
Applied sciences universities are often program oriented towards practical training, which can impact the length of study and therefore, the age average.
In Limburg, demographic changes and migration patterns could also influence the academic profiles of students, since there are fewer students who are younger, with a potential visitor in further education because of their economic situation or personal reasons for attending further education.
