This document is the final report on the experiences of mature students who had entered higher education through the Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP), a one-year course designed to provide an alternative route into higher education for adults and which utilizes a supportive environment plus an incremental, modular approach and small-group learning situations. Sections of the report, which includes 12 tables and 2 figures, provide an overview of the program and its methodology; present students' own accounts of their experiences; note students' progress; personal factors affecting students in higher education; academic experiences; goals and guidance in higher education; and the SWAP program as preparation for higher education. For this report, 53 of 100 students whose SWAP experiences were discussed in an earlier study were followed between 1994 and 1997; the majority were between 25 and 50 and had heavy financial and family responsibilities. Just over one-third experienced some difficulties. The report concludes that if all students are to maximize their educational potential, institutions will have to increase support for this growing diversity of entering students. Appendices include research procedures, response rates, summaries of cohort and student histories, and charts summarizing various financial and self-evaluation data. (BF)