Widening participation to higher education in the East of England: a review of recent regional and national research

‘Widening participation’ covers a range of actions: appropriate evaluation can be very different for each, and as much widening participation activity is recent, there is not yet a great deal of evidence of outcomes on which to base an evaluation. Activities which improve application to higher education include mentoring by current HE students and participation in summer schools, though summer schools are currently not always targeted at the most appropriate groups. Non-traditional entry qualifications into higher education, particularly vocational qualifications, are misunderstood and undervalued, and this is a significant barrier to widening participation. Access courses are successful as a route into higher education and through to a qualification; participation rates are different in different regions and there are suggestions of unmet demand. Part time higher education, flexible learning and distance learning are undervalued as routes through higher education. Retention is a key issue only now being seriously addressed in the literature. Student finance and student debt are major barriers to widening participation and confusion over the introduction of the new fee and grant system is a current and urgent concer