Widening participation in Higher Education: reshaping identities of non-traditional learners

Non-traditional students who have no history in the field of higher education (HE) in the UK, and have progressed through non-traditional routes, often undergo a unique and profound experience. This can involve reshaping their identities and perceptions of themselves. This paper centres around research conducted into the experiences and perspectives of a sample of non-traditional learners in HE. For these students, HE has been made possible by widening participation policies and practice, and non-traditional routes such as access courses. The findings of the research are based on interviews with participants, all of whom are, or have been, mature working‑class students in universities