This project aims to inform the public policy debate on higher
education funding and access. The researchers will analyse
several datasets to help shed light on the drivers of the socio-
economic gap in higher education participation, as well as key
features of the university experience. Specifically, the project
will focus on exploring these seven commonly held beliefs: -
'Many talented 18 year olds from poorer backgrounds are not
going to university' - 'Young people from poor backgrounds do
not aspire to go to university' - 'Qualified 18 year olds from
poorer backgrounds do not apply to university - and if they do,
they face discrimination' - 'Tuition fees prevent students from
poorer backgrounds from going to university' - 'Poorer children
do badly at university' - 'University is for full-time students'
- 'All degrees are worth the same' The data that the researchers
will analyse include: - Newly available waves of data from the
Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), which
follows pupils fir