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Widening participation to HE

Widening participation to HE. Victoria Waite Senior Policy Adviser – London and East v.waite@hefce.ac.uk. Linking London conference 2 nd July 2012. Funding widening participation. Over a decade of investment WP allocation since 1999-2000

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Widening participation to HE

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  1. Widening participation to HE Victoria Waite Senior Policy Adviser – London and East v.waite@hefce.ac.uk Linking London conference 2nd July2012

  2. Funding widening participation • Over a decade of investment • WP allocation since 1999-2000 • Mainstream allocation for disabled students – 2000-2001 • Improving retention introduced in 2003-04 • P4P in 2003-04 • Integrated Aimhigher 2004-05 to 2010-2011 • Lifelong Learning Networks 2004-05 to 2010-11

  3. WHY? • Creating opportunities and realising potential • ‘Widening participation is vital in creating a fairer society, securing improvements in social mobility and supporting economic growth………….A diverse student population is essential to vibrant intellectual enquiry and a resilient knowledge economy. It encourages a higher education offer that is socially and culturally diverse, and more representative of local communities’. • Source: ‘Opportunity, choice and excellence in higher education’, HEFCE 2011

  4. Young participation rate: all groups

  5. Flexibility vs accountability • WPA and the block grant principle • Recognise different institutional missions and contexts • Encouraged a life-cycle approach • Strategic, mainstreamed and embedded • Influence and incentivise e.g. transferred £30 million for relationships with schools • BUT no accountability and difficult to disentangle from other funding • Limited evidence of what works

  6. Funding WP in 2012 and beyond (1) The changing context for widening participation funding • Reductions to HEFCE funding for teaching from 2012-13 to be replaced by increased fee levels • HEFCE funds increasingly targeted investment to secure public and student interest • Expanded remit and role for OFFA • Continued student number controls • Core /margin and AAB+ • Expanding sector – FECs and alternative providers • Regulatory framework • Explicit remit to protect and promote the collective student interest

  7. Funding WP in 2012 and beyond (2) Continuing to support WP • 2012-13 grant letter: WP confirmed as priority; HEFCE and OFFA to develop shared strategy • HEFCE stage 2 teaching funding consultation: From 2013-14 WPA and IR brought together and become Student Opportunity allocation • National Scholarship Programme: £50 million in 2012-13 rising to £150 million by 2014-15 • Increased contribution to access and retention activities from additional fee income through access agreements

  8. Policy challenges • Maintaining participation in a time of greater competition • Impact of fees on student demand • The combined impact of changes to the SNC to introduce more dynamism • Collaboration in outreach • Challenging HEIs to think strategically about widening participation • Better targeting of the NSP

  9. Implications • Securing the investment • Greater accountability • Evidence of effectiveness • Outcomes focussed • Realistic but robust evaluation • This is a sector owned responsibility – we need your help!

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