Divorce and the Returning Woman Student

An interview-based research project in which 40 re- turnees and their partners (initially intact couples) were surveyed separately over 8 years demonstrated that returning to study was a major life transition which brought with it opportunities for both considerable marital conflict and personal growth. However, contrary to some earlier investigations, it was revealed that wo- men's mature-age study was equally likely to be associated with: a breakdown; an enhancement; or no real change in the marriage rela- tionship. The present paper focuses on identifying the central pre- disposing factors which characterised those partnerships which even- tually deteriorated or ended in separation.