Promoting Fair Access to Higher Education for Under-Represented Groups

1. Professor Les Ebdon CBEDirector of Fair Access to Higher Education 1 Professor Les Ebdon CBEDirector of Fair Access to Higher Education

2. OFFA’s role To promote and safeguard fair access to higher education for people from lower income backgrounds and other under-represented groups. The main way we do this is by approving and regulating access agreements.

3. OFFA’s remit All English universities and colleges that want to charge higher fees for higher education courses must have an access agreement with us. Our remit covers: • full-time undergraduates • part-time undergraduates • postgraduate teacher training courses • England only.

4. Who are we talking about? OFFA’s remit is to safeguard access to education for ‘under-represented groups’. These are: • people from lower-income backgrounds • lower socio-economic groups • students from neighbourhoods in which relatively few people enter higher education • some ethnic groups or sub-groups • people who have been in care • disabled people.

5. Progress to date The sector as a whole has succeeded in widening participation in full-time courses for young undergraduates since the mid-2000s.

6. UCAS entry rates: whole sector Source: UCAS, End of cycle report 2014, Figure 74: 18 year olds in England, entry rates by POLAR2 (Q5=advantaged) groups

7. Diverse higher education provision Traditional Further education colleges Teacher training Research-focused Small Specialist Post-1992 Collegiate Business-engaged Part-time Postgraduate Vocational City Highly selective Full-time Mature Rural Employer-funded Modern Large Conservatoires Distance learning etc…

8. Why do part-time students matter to OFFA? • Part-time students are more likely to be from groups under-represented in higher education. • Specifically: • 44 per cent of part-time students are the first in their family to attend higher education • 29 per cent of part-time students are from low income groups • One third of part-time students report that their study has increased the interest in studying from their children or other members of their family • 92 per cent of part-time students are mature students (aged 21 and over). • Part-time students help drive productivity in the economy • Need to maintain infrastructure

9. Why do mature students matter to OFFA? have non-traditional qualifications study part-time study locally have family or care responsibilities have disabilities be from black and minority ethnic backgrounds leave HE within a year of entering Sources: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012) and HEFCE publication 2013/07, Non-continuation rates at English HEIs: Trends for entrants 2005-06 to 2010-11

10. Part-time student numbers Source: Trends in undergraduate recruitment, Universities UK, August 2014 

11. Student numbers over time • . Source: HEFCE 2014/08d Pressure from all sides: Economic and policy influences on part-time higher education

12. Full-time equivalent undergraduate entrants on “other undergraduate study” courses • . Source: HEFCE 2014/08c Undergraduate courses other than first degrees: an analysis of recent trends

13. Mature students – applications through UCAS • . Source: UCAS, UK application rates by country, region, constituency, sex, age and background (2015 Cycle, January background).

14. Key part-time reports • BIS: National strategy for access and student success (report to BIS submitted by OFFA and HEFCE) • Universities UK: The power of part-time • Universities UK: Trends in undergraduate employment • HEFCE: Pressure from all sides: Economic and policy influences on part-time higher education • HEPI: It’s the finance, stupid! The decline of part-time higher education and what to do about it • Bright Blue: Going part-time: Understanding and reversing the decline in part-time higher education.

15. Reasons behind the fall in part-time numbers • Complex issue without a single reason. However, the following have been suggested: • financial pressures (for students and employers) • lack of provision of high quality information, advice and guidance • equivalent or lower qualifications rules • supply issues

16. Financial concerns for mature students • 69 per cent worry about financing their higher education study • 63 per cent suffer financial hardship • 27 per cent apply for discretionary funding • 26 per cent have commercial debts • 49 per cent receive institutional financial support e.g. bursaries. Source: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012)

17. What is OFFA doing to support flexible study? • We’ve made access to part-time study a priority in our access agreement guidance. Our guidance asks institutions to: “consider what more you can do to attract and support part-time and flexible learners across the whole student lifecycle. As well as part-time study, we encourage you to think about how you might develop other flexible HE study options that meet the needs of students and employers.” • We’re acting as a vocal supporter of part-time study – in the sector, with Ministers and in the media. • We’re helping to disseminate evidence about effective practice (our forthcoming topic briefing on part-time students).

18. Our access agreement guidance • All institutions should consider what they can do to support access for part-time and mature students. • This could include: • include potential mature learners in outreach • partnering with employers • work with community groups • developing more flexible provision • improving information, advice and guidance, including financial information • focus on part-time student retention and success.

19. What we’re seeing in access agreements • Our initial analysis of 2016-17 access agreements shows us that: • institutions are doing more to target particular groups of disadvantaged students, including part-time and mature students • a sixth of institutions set themselves specific targets around part-time students • 13 institutions have dedicated financial support schemes to support part-time students.

20. What’s happening this year • More in depth analysis of 2015-16 access agreement shows: • 102 (out of 172) institutions with access agreements have some part-time provision • 33 institutions explain in their access agreements how they’re working to recruit and support part-time students • a quarter of institutions mention supporting vocational or work-based learning

21. The ‘student lifecycle’ approach “Widening access to higher education alone is not sufficient to achieve broader goals of social justice, social mobility and economic prosperity; support for students to be successful in higher education and beyond is also required.” CFE/Edge Hill University, International research on the effectiveness of widening participation (2013)

22. Mature students: retention issues 34 per cent of mature students who consider suspending their studies… 22 per cent of mature students who leave their course altogether… … list financial problems among the top two reasons. Source: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012)

23. Mature students who non-complete are less likely to… have been offered study skills support feel involved in university or college life have been offered peer support have positive relationships with staff/students Sources: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012)

24. What could help reverse the decline? • Continue to keep the issue high on the agenda. • Consider allowing fee loans for modular study. • Consider relaxation of ELQ restrictions. • Consider tax incentives for employers. • Ensure Government leads by example.

25. Any questions? Any questions? enquiries@offa.org.uk 0117 931 7171