Page 32 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

contributes to future socioeconomic inequality, as the typically male-dominated

fields and professions are, on average, the ones with higher wages compared to the
typically female-dominated fields.

Older students:

Only 8 % of students in Croatia enroll in higher education for the first time after

the age of 21 (Šćukanec et al., 2016). Evidence suggests that older students are
more likely to not complete their first year of study (Mihaljević Kosor, 2010), and
that social integration into higher education is more difficult for them (Doolan et

al., 2014).

Students with children:

Students who are parents indicate that studying is more difficult for them than for
students who do not have children. They negatively assess the time available to
them (Doolan et al., 2014).

Students with disabilities:

Students with disabilities represent a highly diverse group, leading to varied and
individualised needs within the higher education system. Their challenges and

requirements can be broadly categorised based on the nature of their disability.
These may encompass the need for environmental accessibility, meaning having
access to all areas for students with motor impairments; the need for adapted access

to literature for students with visual impairments; the need to provide a
communication facilitator for students with hearing impairments; the need for
flexibility in the set deadlines for fulfilling student obligations, and sometimes the

daily rhythm of activities for students with chronic diseases and mental disorders;

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