access to he revived interest in a new era kath dentith head of access quality assurance agency for...
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Access to HE revived interest in a new era
Kath Dentith
Head of Access
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
1997-2010: a golden era?
• ‘Education, education, education’ • ‘widening participation’ = HE for ‘all those who have
the potential to benefit’ • 50% target for young people to go on to HE by 2010• Schwartz: ‘fair access’ = equal opportunities for all• the ‘graduate premium’• Foundation degrees; Aimhigher; Lifelong learning
networks; Office for Fair Access2001/02 – 2007/08:
• £392 million to HEIs for widening participation in HE
2009-12: themes in a period of recession
Public Accounts Committee (2009): DIUS and HEFCE
‘knows too little about how universities have used the
£392 million allocated to them over the last five years’.• ‘graduate unemployment’ in 2012:
- 25% graduates unemployed (20% 18 yr old school leavers)
- graduates in low skilled jobs = 36% (26.7% in 2001)
• widening participation and fair access
= entry to ‘our most selective institutions’ or
‘a form of social engineering’ .
Why the interest in Access to HE?
White Paper (2011): Students at the Heart of the System‘new framework for widening participation and fair access’ noted
that, in 2010:
• 52% increase in applicants holding Access to HE qualification (28,000 - over 5% all UCAS applicants)
• 46% increase in total Access to HE acceptances
‘We will examine why interest in Access to Higher
Education courses has recently increased.’
Access to HE Diploma achievement 2011: continued increase?
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-110
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
What happened next – applications to HE?UCAS mature applications (2009-12): Jan stats release
2009 2010 2011 20120
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
19+: total excluding Access to HE
2009 2010 2011 20120
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,00019+: Access to HE only
Why do adult numbers matter?
Demographic changes in 18-20 yr age group
• 2007–10: numbers rising• 2010: numbers peaked
• 2010-20: number will decline significantly• 2020: predicted to be lowest number in this age
group since 1998-99 • 2020 onwards: numbers increase again
HE responses to decline of 18-20 yr olds
Option 1: recruit fewer in total (shrink u/g population)
Option 2: compete for numbers in shrinking pool, eg
• increase share of 18 yr old A level entrants
• increase numbers of 18 yr olds with other qualifications (identify qualifications with HE best fit)
• increase supply of younger students applying to HE by increasing proportion who progress to level 3
Option 3: increase recruitment of adults
(identify major HE entry route for adults?) ....
Other observations about Access to HE from the 2011 White Paper
1) ‘acceptance rate [69%] compares well with the 73 per cent rate achieved by all other applicants’
2) ‘attainment by access students [in HE] stands fair comparison with others
3) ‘after graduation, most former access students get
graduate jobs.’
‘Our continuing support for Access courses should
help those who left school early or have been out of
education for a number of years.’
Access to HE in round numbers (2011)
regis
tratio
ns
HE app
lican
ts
com
plete
rs
Diplom
as
acce
ptan
ces
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
•40,000 registered on Access to HE courses
•30,000 applicants to HE (through UCAS)
•30,000 completed the Access to HE course
•27,500 awarded the Access to HE Diploma
•21,500 HE acceptances (through UCAS)
Where has the recent interest in Access to HE numbers come from?
Increases in all groups, but particularly among those
who were:• white and male (though male students still only 30%
of all registrations)• aged 20-24 • holding ‘other’ qualifications as well as Access to HE• from areas where relatively few adults hold HE quals• studying full-time• studying Access courses in health and social care • applying to HE courses in subjects allied to medicine.
Why has interest in Access to HE courses ‘recently increased’? What the AVAs said…
1. Increased unemployment: individuals retraining for graduate professions
2. Introduction of Access to HE Diploma led to new courses, re-engagement by colleges and improved qualification branding
3. Improved promotion and marketing by providers
4. Availability of more on-line information and course search from Access to HE website (2007) and Access Courses Database (2008)
5. Improved confidence among FECs, following clear statements about funding eligibility
What’s the point of examining ‘why interest has recently increased’?
‘With continued Skills Funding Agency support for
level 3 provision, including the planned introduction of
further education loans for learners aged 24 and over
from 2013/14, there may be opportunities to develop
even more flexible routes for progression from
further to higher education, including work-based
options.…’
More flexibility for Access to HE?
What do potential Access to HE students tell
us they want?• more part-time/evening/distance/on-line learning• more subject-specific progression routes• more professionally/vocationally oriented routes• more comparative information• greater clarity about Diploma course requirements
and content• greater clarity about progression opportunities.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786