Social gap in higher education "not only a matter of cost

Citation

(2001), "Social gap in higher education "not only a matter of cost", Education + Training, Vol. 43 No. 8/9. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2001.00443hab.001

Social gap in higher education "not only a matter of cost"

Social gap in higher education "not only a matter of cost"Keywords: Higher education, Social class, Students, England, Wales

Cost is an important factor in deciding about higher-education study, but it is not the main factor putting off suitably qualified people from working-class backgrounds. In a report published by the Department for Education and Skills and researched by the Institute for Employment Studies, a clearer picture emerges of why people from lower social classes decide whether or not to enter higher education. IES director Richard Pearson commented: "A lot of attention has focused on the perceived cost of higher-education participation as a barrier to entry for people from poorer backgrounds. This research reveals a wider range of influences in the decision-making process. Some young people prefer to start working sooner, begin earning, and become independent. Others do not see a degree as guaranteeing a better job at the end, or they have in mind a particular job or career that does not require a higher-education qualification."

Numbers in higher education from lower social-class backgrounds have been rising, but a significant gap remains between the 45 percent participation rates of the higher social-class groups and a 17 percent rate of the lower groups. The main cause is recognized as persistent lower early educational achievement of young people from lower social-class backgrounds, which require long-term remedies. For those who do get on to higher-education qualifying pathways, often against the odds, a range of factors comes into play in deciding about whether or not to go on to university. This was the main subject of the research, undertaken to examine factors influencing decision making since the 1997 changes were introduced in student support.

A range of influences that affect decisions taken by potential higher-education students was identified, including:

• •

  expectations of the positive benefits and the longer-term value of higher-education study, especially labour-market outcomes;

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  perceptions of the costs likely to be incurred and how they might be met;

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  access to timely and relevant information about higher-education options, and also information on costs and available student support;

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  encouragement given to developing their capabilities and confidence by teachers, further-education tutors and other mentors such as student friends and family;

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  attitudes in parts of higher education towards their varying needs and aspirations.

Many potential higher-education students from lower social-class groups have to weigh up a number of positive and negative factors about higher education. As well as wanting more financial assistance, they also need to have better advice and information on financial issues, including guidance on the kind of financial support available and the net costs of choosing different options (such as courses, institutions, part time or full time) and also on graduate outcomes. As Helen Connor, one of the authors of the report, commented: "These students believe more strongly than their higher-social-class counterparts that the investment in higher education is going to be worthwhile, in terms of future prospects. However, they are less well informed pre-entry on most aspects of student finance, and more likely to be worried about financial issues, including getting into debt and managing to work while studying. They are also more likely to be put off by personal considerations, such as confidence in their ability to cope with the demand of academic study, stepping into the unknown, and family issues including childcare arrangements."

Individual circumstances, including age, ethnicity, prior education and background, determine what factors have most influence.

The research focused on three target groups in England and Wales:

1. 1.

   Potential entrants. A sample of 223 students at 20 colleges and schools in low-higher-education-participation neighbourhoods.

2. 2.

   Recent entrants. A sample of 1,677 first-year undergraduate students at 14 institutions, which included 625 from the lower-social-class groups.

3. 3.

   Non-entrants. A sample of 112 young people, drawn from these lower-social-class groups, identified as having higher-education entry qualifications two years previously, but not studying in higher education.

Social Class and Higher Education: Issues Affecting Decisions on Participation by Lower-Social-Class Groups, by H. Connor and S. Dewson, with C. Tyers, J. Eccles, J. Regan and J. Aston, Department for Education and Skills Research Report 267, March 2001, ISBN 1 84185 419 0, £4.95, is available from PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ.