Introduction

The two significant aims of this research are, firstly to ask what factors influence individuals from a widening participation background in their choice of HE institution? And secondly, how can HE better support the transition and integration of widening participation students? By asking these questions, we aim to produce a cohesive understanding of the current system, and what beneficial adjustments can be made to further support widening participation students in accessing higher education.

Widening participation is defined as increasing the representation of particular groups within society who are under-represented within higher education. To widen participation means that there is more representation within education, (Tonks and Farr, 2013). Under-represented groups within higher education, in the UK, are considered to be individuals who are from a low-income background, it can also include gender, age (i.e mature students), disability, ethnicity, and first-generation students, (Penfold-Mounce, et al., 2016). First-generation students are students who are the first in their family to attend university. 

Donnelly and Evans argue that lower socio-economic groups are the least likely to enter higher education, specifically children who received free school meals. Using children who received free school meals as a measuring point for low-income is beneficial as it helps to categorise individuals. However, poverty is complex, and many individuals tackling poverty and low-income do not receive free school meals, therefore this idea is limited in its applicability. By analysing higher education policy documents in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Donnelly, and Evans demonstrate the under-lying ideas behind widening participation policies. They argue that contemporary English policy making places an emphasis upon consumerism, (Donnelly and Evans, 2018). 

This is supported by the Aim Higher initiative presented by New Labour which occurred between 2004 and 2011. Doyle and Griffin claim, Aim Higher was produced in an attempt to upskill the British workforce in order to compete in the global economy, New Labour aimed to increase higher education to 50%. Due to the economic goals of Aim Higher it could be argued that this ethos behind widening participation is deeply misplaced and does not have the students it aims to help, at the heart of the matter. Some researchers argue that there is a lack of evidence of Aim Higher being beneficial to increasing progression decisions, (Doyle and Griffin, 2012).

However, other researchers do argue that Aim Higher has had a positive impact upon GCSE results by raising aspirations. The impact of Aim Higher has been largely based on GCSE attainment and HE participation, (Chilosh, et al., 2010). By basing the impact of Aim Higher on GCSE attainment and HE participation, we fail to evaluate the success of widening participation individuals in higher education. For example, WP students’ well-being at university as well as their overall experiences. 

Although Aim Higher can be credited as a good starting point for Widening Participation, a program which aimed to aspire children within England to ‘aim higher’, for whatever purpose that may be, it is arguably only the starting point. As Chilosh, et al., go on to argue, there is very little statistical analysis of Aim Higher due to legal issues and data protection, therefore the true extent of its impact is uncertain. 

What is certain, is that the UK is still in dire need of widening participation within its education system, specifically higher education. Although there are schemes and programs which have succeeded Aim Higher, such as career fairs, open days, and course taster days, there is a gap in the research in regard to the continuing support of WP students in their transition to HE, and success within.

Methodology

Ethics

Ethical approval was granted by the University of York’s Sociology Ethics Community. Ethical considerations were paramount when designing and carrying out this research. To ensure ethical soundness, participants were provided with a participant information sheet and required to complete a consent form prior to the interviewing process. Additionally, participants were reminded of their right to withdraw at the end of the interview. Participant anonymity was ensured throughout, and participant data was secured on a university provided laptop, held within a locked office. In this paper, participants will be referred to by numbers in order to ensure their anonymity.

Sample

Recruitment was initiated via word-of-mouth, which allowed for the snowballing effect to ensue. Eight participants were interviewed, three of which identified as male, and five who identified as female. This maintained a fairly even gender ratio in order to avoid gender bias within the study. Of the eight participants, six self-identified as mature students, two self-identified as low-income students, one self-identified as disabled, one who self-identified as an ethnic minority, one who identified as first-generation, and one who identified as a WP student due to participating in WP events, which were based on income, however, did not describe themselves as low-income. It must be acknowledged that the researcher is white and able-bodied, therefore the analysis on ethnic minorities and disabled students is limited. Additionally, it was important that participants self-identified as widening participation students, as defining widening participation is complex. It also allowed for more in-depth analysis of how widening participation is understood by students. 

Qualitative Methods: Interviews

Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted either on zoom or in person, ranging from thirty minutes to one hour in duration. Semi-structured interviews were chosen on the basis that they allow for more information to be gathered and allow for participants to elaborate on questions they feel passionately about. Seven questions were asked in each interview

The interviews were recorded in order to produce transcripts which were then coded using. thematic analysis (TA). TA was chosen to ensure the results reflected the ideas of participants as accurately as possible. As widening participation in higher education is the long-term goal of this research, the voices of the participants are of the utmost importance. 

Findings 

Four themes were identified within the data: ‘Defining widening participation’, ‘Location’, ‘Finances’ and ‘Moving Forward’.

1. Defining Widening Participation

A crucial theme when analysing the data set was participant inability to define widening participation. Notably this reflects disagreement within existing literature about defining WP. Although many students are able to identify themselves as widening participation, and understand themselves to be of a disadvantaged background, few were able to concisely explain what widening participation is. For example, participant one struggled to define WP saying: “From what you’ve told me…,”, this indicates little to no understanding of WP prior to this research project. Meanwhile participant four, when asked if they know what a WP student is, simply responds with, “No,” and Participant five started with, “I’m not 100% clear,”. These responses were typical with almost half of the participants claiming they were unsure of what WP is. This indicates that WP programs are struggling to help WP students to self-identify and potentially meaning they are not accessing support. As the participants reveal if they are unsure as to what WP, they are therefore unsure of what support is available to them. 

2. Location

For many participants, location was a key factor when deciding which university to attend. Three participants highlighted the need to be relatively close to home. When asked why they applied for a specific university, participant one said, “it’s also pretty close to home as well so my family can come visit whenever” and participant two and eight reiterated similar sentiments about being close to family. Although it is common for many students to be apprehensive about moving far away from home, it is perhaps felt more so by WP students due to other circumstances. For instance, participant two says, 

I do not consider myself a young carer by any like fixed terms, but my responsibilities are affected by that, and it does affect like how I view my priorities even as a student. So, siblings

 for many WP students staying close to home due to family is more than just home-sickness, it is also a responsibility. This supports the idea that location is a key factor in helping WP students select a university. 

Location was also significant for participants who attended the Open University. Participant three says, “for me to travel, to go to university, it would’ve been a lot of travelling time”. This indicates that working from home was important for individuals when selecting a university. The flexibility of the Open University allows for students to fit in other responsibilities without the time constraints of a brick institution, as echoed by participant four who when asked why they chose to study at the Open University says, “I’m obviously older and I’ve got other commitments and financial pressures, I had to find something that was part time, that I could do in my own time,”. Although not immediately apparent, time and location are connected. Non-OU institutions do not offer the same flexibility as the Open University, therefore making them less accessible to WP participants. 

Interestingly in response to the question, "Are there institutions you would automatically rule out? If so, why?" Several participants claimed they would not attend Oxbridge universities, or any universities in London. Although many stated financial reasons, one student who did apply to Oxbridge said “Well, I didn’t automatically rule them out, but I did rule out Cambridge in the end and I would now automatically rule out anything else like that,”. This was after several comments about the academic nature of Cambridge, when asked why she attends the university she does now, she said, “well it’s still academic, but it’s not Cambridge academic, you can still have a life as well as your studies as well,”. This suggests that the competitive nature and reputation of Oxbridge may be significantly off putting for WP students, (in this case, those with a disability), from garnering access to such institutions. 

3. Finances

Finances was another key concept which kept occurring over the course of the interviews. Finances occurred in several different areas of conversation, for example, several participants stated they wouldn’t study in a specific area due to the cost of living/tuition fees. Participant five, a mature international student, stated, “I didn’t try to apply to places like Cambridge or Oxford obviously, I figured that’s probably out of my price range,”. Similarly, fees were mentioned in regard to the Open University, participant four stated “I think that’s another contribution of why I wouldn’t ordinarily choose a normal university, is because the fees are so much higher”, similarly, participant three stated, “It’s much cheaper, at the time, than a physical university,”. This reveals that despite student loans, the fees of university tuition still play a crucial role in deciding which university to attend. 

When participants were questioned about how they felt their WP background impacted their studies at university, half of the participants claimed their social life was impacted, it was stressed by two participants that this was for financial reasons. Participant one said, “100%, alongside my confidence levels and stuff, like if I go out, I’m terrified to spend,” whilst participant two agreed with this sentiment claiming, “I think that a lot of the ways students interact with each other and have social opportunities, tend to be through activities which can be quite financially draining, like drinking and clubbing,”. Although this shows that students' social lives at university are being impacted by their finances, it may also be an indication that student societies rely too heavily on the UK drinking culture. 

Finally, many participants claimed to have missed opportunities due to their financial struggles at university. For example, participant one discusses a project they could not apply to due to cost, she says “It’s only fifty pounds, even then, just to apply. It’s a lot to me, I can’t do that,”. Similarly, participant two has been unable to apply to summer internships, she says, “That’s the thing that you do which makes you stand out on your CV, but a lot of the time it does not pay, or it requires relocation, which is expensive,”. Both of these situations reveal that although WP students may gain access to higher education, they may not reap the same benefits other students in a more financially secure position are afforded. This could be addressed by offering bursaries, subsidies, free accommodation when relocating, or even internships within the universities themselves, etc.

4. Moving Forward

At the forefront of this research have been the voices of widening participation students who are largely under-represented. It was important that their voices were heard, therefore they were asked about recruitment schemes. Several participants had ideas of what works well, and suggestions for ways higher education institutions could improve. 

Participant four and six highlighted that university is introduced as a concept quite late in a student’s academic life. Participant six states, “I think it comes into play in education really late in the process, for me it was all the year before I went to university”, and participant four claims, “at the time, I think they started it at the right kind of time, but looking back there would need to be more prep work before that point because when you’re 14, 15, 16 and going through that transition, you don’t know what you want to do and I don’t think the education system, to me, is geared up to getting students to do what they like doing, because you have no idea or understanding of what you want to do,”. This indicates that conversations surrounding further education may need to begin earlier, although some WP programs are offered to younger teens, this is an indication that it is not reaching all WP students, which should be the end goal. 

Accessibility of technology is paramount for disabled and mature students. Participant eight described the importance of the availability of lecture casts for disabled students stating, “there will be lots of people who rely on recordings”, they go on to suggest that if a lecture recording fails, the previous year’s recording should be uploaded. Furthermore, participant seven, a mature student explained their struggles with accessing course content due to a lack of technological capabilities. 

In regard to the social aspect of university, there are many amendments that could be made which would benefit WP students’ accessibility and well-being in HE. As previously mentioned, societies which offer free socials would benefit low-income students. Participant eight states,

 “Nothing’s accessible, and even stuff marketed as accessible just isn’t, probably because it’s designed by NT non-disabled people who just cannot know really what’s accessible, you know, everything needs to be done in conversation with disabled people,”

This demonstrates that with the university’s cooperation with disabled students, accessible societies can be made. To address mature students, participant five discusses that although the university they attended had a mature students society, due to it being 21+ they felt out of place, to address this they suggest “maybe just meetups for over 30s”.

Conclusion

This research has attempted to accurately reflect the realities of Widening Participation individuals entering higher education, and their mobility within higher education by discussing the first-hand experience of widening participation students. The findings show that WP students struggle to describe widening participation, to address this, HE institutions should provide definitions of WP in their prospectus. Additionally, definitions of WP could be stated in course handbooks which may be more readily available for current students. 

To address concerns about missed opportunities, universities may offer more bursaries, subsidies, free or reduced accommodation for internships which require relocation, or even internships within the university. Participants also mentioned that their social lives were impacted by finances, age, and disability. This can be addressed in several ways. University societies play a crucial role, societies for different age categories, more disability friendly events organised with the input of disabled students and faculty, and more funding for societies to provide free socials for those with low-income backgrounds, additionally more budget-friendly activities. Finally, mature students may be aided through the introductory courses on using technology at university. Most importantly, the voices of self-identifying widening participation students are integral to the development of WP programs that universities choose to adopt. The voices of WP students must be listened to in order to progress.

References

Chilosh, D., Noble, M., Broadhead, P. and Wilkinson, M. (2010). Measuring The Effect of Aim Higher on Schooling Attainment and Higher Education Applications and Entries. Journal of Further and Higher Education. Vol 34(1), pp. 1-10. 

Donnelly, M. and Evans, C. (2018). A ‘Home-International’ Comparative Analysis of Widening Participation in UK Higher Education. Social Research Online. Vol. 24(3) pp. 353-369.

Doyle, M. and Griffin, M. (2012). Raised aspirations and attainment? A review of the impact of AimHigher (2004-2011) on Widening Participation in Higher Education in England. London Review of Education. Vol 10(1). 

Penfold-Mounce, R., Millington, G. and Toerien, M. (2016). Learning from Experience: Widening Participation Students in Sociology. Forum, Issue 40, pp. 30-31.  Available at: https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/forum/Forum%20issue%2040.pdf

Tonks, D. and Farr, M. (2003). Widening Access and Participation in UK Higher Education. The International Journal of Educational Management. Vol17(1) pp. 26-36.