The social gap in higher education: not just a matter of cost

Citation

(2001), "The social gap in higher education: not just a matter of cost", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 33 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2001.03733eab.001

The social gap in higher education: not just a matter of cost

The social gap in higher education: not just a matter of costKeywords: Higher education, Costs, Social class

Cost is an important factor in deciding about higher education study. However, it is not the only or even the main reason that puts off people from lower social class backgrounds, even though they may be qualified to get a place.

In a report published by the UK Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and researched by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), a clearer picture emerges of why people from lower social classes decide (or not) to enter higher education (HE). IES director Richard Pearson commented:

"A lot of attention has focused on the perceived cost of HE 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 an HE qualification."

Numbers in higher education from lower social class backgrounds have been rising, but a significant gap remains between the 45 per cent participation rates of the higher social class groups and the 17 per cent rate of the lower groups. The main cause is recognised as persistent lower early educational achievement of young people from lower social class backgrounds, which requires long-term remedies. For those who do get on to HE qualifying pathways, often against the odds, a range of factors then come into play in deciding about whether or not to go on to university. This was the main subject of this research study, 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 HE students were identified in the research, including:

• •

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

• •

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

• •

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

• •

  encouragement given to developing their capabilities and confidence by teachers, FE tutors and other "mentors", e.g. student friends and family;

• •

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

Many potential HE 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, e.g. courses, institutions, part-time/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 HE is going to be worthwhile, in terms of future prospects. However, they are also 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 HE 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 – social classes IIIm, IV and V); and

3. 3.

   non-entrants (a sample of 112 young people, drawn from these lower social class groups, identified as having HE entry qualifications two years previously but not studying in HE).

The report, 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 (DfEE Research Report 267, ISBN 1 84185 419 0) is available, price £4.95, from DfEE Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ. Tel: 0845 60 22; E-mail: dfee@prologistics.co.uk

It can also be accessed at the DfEE Web site: http://www.dfee.gov.uk/research/pubs.cfm