This study focused on present and recommended practices in organizing and administering special counseling programs for mature women. Questionnaire responses were received from 192 university and college administrators. Findings included the following: (1) 63 administrators reported special counseling programs, most of them established within the past ten years; (2) various stimuli, mainly demand by returning women students, sparked the formation of such programs; (3) respondents in institutions with such programs expected the programs to continue, and less than half the respondents anticipated changes in financing; (4) most programs were free to potential students; (5) the programs had relatively mature counselors, more short term and part time programs, and more vocational orientation; (6) staff, rather than line, relationships between special counseling administrators and other personnel, were favored; (7) financial aid was available to adult women students in half the institutions; and (8) a majority of institutions had no child care facilities for student mothers. Adult women students' chief concerns were lack of self-confidence, care of family, finances, directions and goals, management of time, and lack of part time educational opportunities, in that order. (Author/LY)