A briefing on:
Impact of the 2012 reforms

Impacts on different groups of students

While current evidence suggests that the reforms have not made young people from disadvantaged areas less likely to study full-time, there continue to be significant gaps in participation between different groups of students.

Disadvantage

According to UCAS data, 18-year-olds from the most advantaged areas are still three times more likely to apply to higher education than those from the most disadvantaged areas, and entry rates to institutions that require high grades are typically six to nine times greater for applicants from advantaged areas.

Entry rates of English 18-year-olds 10

The impacts of the reforms on widening participation may only emerge in the medium to long term, and this issue needs to be closely monitored.

Part-time students

Decreases in the part-time student population, which includes larger numbers of non-traditional students, are likely to have implications for equality and diversity.

We will examine this closely when we receive more complete data on the part-time student population later in 2013. There may be a need to develop innovative models of flexible and more affordable learning.

‌Mature students

Mature students have been affected much more than younger people.

While acceptances of applicants aged 18 and younger from the UK fell by 1.7 per cent between 2011-12 and 2012-13, for those aged 20 and over there was a drop of 7.1 per cent.

Sex

There continues to be a significant gap between the sexes, with 18-year-old females a third more likely to apply to higher education than males.

The differences are largest in the most disadvantaged areas of England, where 18-year-old females are 50 per cent more likely to apply than males.

HEFCE action

In addition to the funding that institutions themselves provide for access measures, HEFCE will continue to fund institutions for widening participation through its student opportunity allocation, which in 2013-14 will total £332 million. This funding will underpin all aspects of providers’ work to deliver their widening participation aims and activities, enabling them to support activities across the student lifecycle, from raising attainment and aspirations in schools to helping students to reach their full potential. Most of the funding is associated with the additional costs of supporting students through to successful completion of their courses. The funding continues to be very important to protecting students’ interests.

In the most disadvantaged areas, 18-year-old females are 50% more likely than males of that age to apply to higher education

HEFCE action

The Higher Education White Paper determined that HEFCE should develop its role to promote and protect the collective student interest. In this capacity, HEFCE is undertaking further work to improve its and the sector’s understanding of equality and diversity, including how certain groups of students may be particularly affected by the reforms. We are also continuing to contribute funding to the Equality Challenge Unit and to implement our equality and diversity scheme.