Professor Les Ebdon CBE

Director of Fair Access to Higher Education

About OFFA

Our role:To promote and safeguard fair access to higher education for lower income and other under-represented groups following the introduction of higher tuition fees

What is fair access?

Removing barriers

Distribution across all universities and colleges

Different institutions face different issues

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.

OFFA’s evolving focus

• Greater challenge

• Greater support

• National strategy

• Emphasis on outcomes (access and retention/student success)

• Evaluation

• Outreach

• Student involvement

• Equality and diversity

Progress to date

The sector as a whole has succeeded in widening participation since the mid-2000s.

• In 2011-12, universities and colleges spent £444.1m on

access measures – that’s 23.5 per cent of their income

from higher fees

• More than 455,000 students from lower income and

other under-represented groups received a bursary or

scholarship in 2011-12

Impact of access agreements

Diverse higher education provision

Small

Traditional

Conservatoires

Business-engaged

Research-focused

Highly selective

Further education colleges

City

Teacher trainingPost-1992

Large

Modern

Fee levels

Campus

Collegiate

Postgraduate

Distance learning

Specialist

Rural

etc…

Part-time

Full-time

Diverse students = diverse issues

“The government also wants to support those wishing to study part-time in higher education, and mature students. We would like institutions to consider such students within their overall approach to access, and would like [OFFA] to take account of their efforts in considering their access agreements.” BIS guidance to OFFA, February 2011

Ministers’ guidance to OFFA

Why part-time students are important to OFFA

• Covered by access agreements from 2012-13

• More likely than full-time students to:– come from low participation

neighbourhoods– be over 21– have caring/family

responsibilities

Entry to part-time higher education courses (England)

(Source: HEFCE publication 2013/03, Higher education in England: Impact of the 2012 reforms)

Mature students are more likely than younger students to:

have non-traditional qualifications study part-time study locally

have family or care responsibilitieshave 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

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)

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)

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

Source: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012)

Mature students: student success issues

83 per cent have trouble balancing study and other commitments54 per cent find it challenging to pick up new study techniques or relearn themSource: Never Too Late To Learn: Mature Students in Higher Education (Million+/NUS, 2012)

OFFA guidance 2014-15: mature/part-time

• Consider different types of courses/flexible provision.

• Take a broad view of outreach to include potential mature learners as well as work with schools.

• Focus on part-time student retention and success.

• Evaluate outcomes and concentrate efforts/strategy on doing what works.

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA – KEY FACTS

• Diploma qualification, completed in a year or less

• Develops knowledge, skills and confidence.

• Important alternative route into higher

education

• Diploma loan written off upon completion of HE course

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA – KEY FACTS

• 28,000 completions in 2011-12

• 73 per cent of students were women

• 11 per cent of students were disabled

• 22,000 students with diplomas went on to higher education in 2012-13

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA

• Entrance to diploma most likely among those from most deprived neighbourhoods

Source: Access to Higher Education: Key statistics 2013

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA

• A popular choice for mature learners

Source: Access to Higher Education: Key statistics 2013

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMAS IN ACCESS AGREEMENTS

• North East Surrey College of Technology plan to recruit 10 per cent more students studying access diplomas

• The University of the West of England will track students studying access diplomas from pre-entry into university as part of their evaluative work

• Falmouth University coordinates regional events and networks, focusing work on specialist areas, including entry to access diplomas.

,

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA – ISSUES