The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) welcomes the report Tracking the Decision-Making of High Achieving Higher Education Applicants, published today by the Sutton Trust and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, on the reasons for the university choices made by young people who achieve high A level grades.
Professor Les Ebdon, Director of Fair Access to Higher Education, commented:
“This is very interesting and useful research. The report underlines how important it is for universities and colleges to invest in outreach work that raises ambitions and increases confidence among students with academic potential from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I agree with the Sutton Trust that universities and colleges should look to increase their investment in outreach activities for people from low income and other under-represented groups, to raise their aspirations and to inform their choices about higher education. These activities might include, for example, mentoring, master classes and summer schools.
“In OFFA’s guidance to universities and colleges on their access agreements for the 2014-15 academic year, we will further emphasise the importance of sustained, targeted outreach.
“In particular, we are encouraging institutions to increase their collaborative outreach activities, including collaboration between the most selective universities to motivate high achievers from under-represented groups to apply to them.”