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Evidence toolkit: Student access, success, progression

Our toolkit summarises the existing evidence on approaches to widening participation and student success for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

How we rate evidence in our access, success and progression toolkit.

Find out more

  • Financial support (post-entry)

    Financial support includes grants, bursaries, scholarships and fee-waivers. When offered after entry to higher education, it is designed to help students succeed on-course by alleviating the financial costs of studying.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Post-entry to HECompletionProgression to own institutionWellbeing

  • Financial support (pre-entry)

    Financial support includes grants, bursaries, scholarships and fee-waivers. When offered to prospective students, financial support is designed to help overcome the perceived or actual cost of applying and/or going to higher education.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Pre-entry to HEProgression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institution

  • Foundation year programmes (post-entry)

    Foundation year programmes are one-year introductory courses at the start of undergraduate university. They are designed to help students who may not meet the standard requirements for entry into university to develop skills and subject-specific knowledge, with the aim of increasing access to undergraduate studies, increasing course completion and raising attainment.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionProgression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionRetentionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Tutoring (pre-entry)

    Academic tutoring is an intervention that involves a teacher, trained teaching assistant or a tutor providing academic support to an individual or group of students.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Large positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Medium evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Progression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills development

  • Summer schools

    Summer schools are a form of outreach comprising a range of activities organised during the summer holidays,  including workshops, taster sessions and social activities. Summer schools often take place on campus but can also be delivered online.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Belonging in HE (pre-entry)Progression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Multi-intervention outreach

    Multi-intervention outreach combines two or more activities into an ongoing programme of support for students at different stages of their education.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Mixed impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Belonging in HE (pre-entry)Progression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Raising attainment through school governance and teacher training (pre-entry)

    School governance and teacher training are sometimes used as mechanisms to improve the attainment of school-age pupils. Partnerships between schools and higher education providers are typically formed through university sponsorship of schools, professional development opportunities for teachers, and placing university staff as governors of schools. 

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Progression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills development

  • Programmes of student support (post-entry)

    Programmes of student support refers to sustained programmes of engagement (for example, via course modules or events) designed to improve retention and success among students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionProgression to employmentProgression to PG studyRetentionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capitalWellbeing

  • Transition support into HE for disabled students (pre-entry)

    Transition support aims to help disabled students transition into higher education.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Disabled learnersPre-entry to HECompletionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionRetentionSkills developmentWellbeing

  • Teaching employability skills (post-HE)

    Interventions developed by higher education providers that aim to teach employability skills and a range of competencies deemed necessary for success in securing and retaining employment (e.g., career adaptability).

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEProgression to employmentProgression to PG studySkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Study and soft skills support (pre-entry)

    Attainment-raising activities are interventions carried out by higher education providers to raise attainment of school-age pupils. Some of these activities aim to improve attainment through the development of study skills, by way of practical activities designed to enhance attitudes and techniques to improve learning.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Progression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills development

  • Reasonable adjustments (or accommodations) for disabled students

    Higher education providers must provide a range of reasonable adjustments (or, particularly in the US context, ‘accommodations’) for disabled students to help them succeed on their course; for example access to assistive technologies, or extra time on tests.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Disabled learnersPost-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionRetentionSkills developmentWellbeing