Office for Fair Access
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The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) promotes and safeguards fair access to higher education for people from lower income backgrounds and other underrepresented groups in England. OFFA's role is to ensure institutions charging higher fees have access agreements. While entry rates for disadvantaged 18-year-olds have increased in recent years, there remains a gap in entry rates between the most and least disadvantaged. Improving access also requires supporting student success through retention, attainment, and progression after graduation.
Office for Fair Access
- 1. O f f i c e f o r F a i r A c c e s s Professor Les Ebdon CBE Director of Fair Access to Higher Education London, UK | February 2016
- 2. # H U E M E A 1 6 To promote and safeguard fair access to higher education for people from lower income backgrounds and other under-represented groups. Institutions charging higher fees must have an access agreement with OFFA Our remit covers: • full-time undergraduates • part-time undergraduates • postgraduate teacher training courses • England only. OFFA’s role
- 3. # H U E M E A 1 6 Entry rates of disadvantaged 18 year olds in England For 18 year olds from low participation neighbourhoods, the 2015 entry rate was 18.5%, compared with 17.8% in 2014, and 13.6% in 2009. Entry rate among the least disadvantaged 18 year olds was 2.4 times higher than that among the most disadvantaged (down from 3.7 in 2006). 0% 4% 8% 12% 16% 20% 2006 2009 2012 2015 EntryRate Entry rate among the most disadvantaged, 2006-2015 (POLAR 3, Quintile 1) 18.5 % Source: UCAS (End of cycle 2015, 18 year olds) 0 1 2 3 4 2006 2009 2012 2015 Entryrateratio(Q5:Q1) Difference in entry rate between most and least disadvantaged groups Source: UCAS (End of cycle 2015, 18 year olds) Q5: Least disadvantaged; Q1: Most disadvantaged
- 4. # H U E M E A 1 6 Ten years of progress… what’s behind it? • Increase in outreach • Whole student lifecycle approach • More tailored, evidence-based spend • More collaborative work
- 5. # H U E M E A 1 6 ‘Student lifecycle’ approach Supporting students: • preparing for HE (building expectation, aspiration, attainment) • entering HE • retention and student success • progression to further study or to/within employment
- 6. # H U E M E A 1 6 The importance of student success “Widening access to higher education alone is not sufficient to achieve goals of social justice, social mobility and economic prosperity; support for students to be successful in higher education and beyond is also required.” CFE/Edge Hill University (2013) International research on the effectiveness of widening participation “Access without support is not opportunity” Cathy Engstrom and Vincent Tinto, Syracuse University
- 7. # H U E M E A 1 6 Whole-institution approach • We want to see a strategic, whole- institution approach • Widening participation embedded across the institution • Internal collaboration – ensuring departments are working towards the same goals
- 8. 1 2 3 4 5 Reducing the participation gap at higher tariff universities The challenges for widening access to higher participation Addressing the decline in part-time and mature student numbers Addressing differential outcomes Areas and regions with low participation (“cold spots”) Access to postgraduate study
- 9. # H U E M E A 1 6 3) Differences in outcomes Percentage point difference of the outcome from the sector- adjusted average, split by quintile Source: HEFCE 2013/14, Higher education and beyond: Outcomes from full-time first degree study
- 10. # H U E M E A 1 6 Differences in outcomes by ethnicity 2013-14 graduates by ethnicity, entry qualification and degree classification Source: HEFCE 2015/21, Differences in degree outcomes: The effect of subject and student characteristics, Figure 12
- 11. # H U E M E A 1 6 Key opportunities for fair access • Government commitment to fair access • Green Paper • Teaching Excellence Framework • The end of student number controls
- 12. # H U E M E A 1 6 New Government guidance “We are asking universities to go further and faster than ever before, especially the most selective institutions. This guidance for the first time identifies groups of students where most attention is needed, such as white boys from the poorest homes and students with specific learning difficulties. We want to see smarter spending, with more outreach and much deeper partnerships with local schools.” Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science Drag or drop your photograph here
- 13. # H U E M E A 1 6 A shared responsibility • Universities • Colleges • Schools/teachers • Families • Employers • Unions • Charities • Skills organisations • Communities • Government
- 14. Any questions?