ABSTRACT

The publication of the long-awaited Augar Report into post-18 education and funding provides a timely opportunity to examine the literature and evidence on the role of bursaries in widening participation (WP) in higher education. WP policies have sought to address discrepancies in the take-up of HE between different social groups, and the differential experiences (and outcomes) of students from different backgrounds, once they are at university. The effectiveness of bursaries to address this depends not only on their ability to compensate for financial disadvantage but also on the impact their provision can have on young people’s attitudes and students’ integration at university. This systematic review takes into account not only recent academic research undertaken in the area but also acknowledges the vast amount of research that governmental and non-governmental organisations undertake in relation to WP. The findings highlight the persistence of socioeconomic disparities in HE participation and, even amongst lower-income students who do attend, emphasise the continuing challenges they face to “fit in” to university life. Before provision of financial support can be effective, a consistent method to identify the most vulnerable groups of students is necessary. Whilst bursaries can overcome the financial barriers to participation, other non-financial challenges remain and the effectiveness of bursaries alone to promote greater diversity in HE is not yet proven. The strength-in-diversity the WP agenda aims to support will only be realised with a fairer distribution of quality and prestige across the sector and a more thorough “de-classing” of the institution of the university.

摘要

期待已久的关于 18 岁后教育和资助的 Augar 报告的出版提供了一个及时的机会来审查有关助学金在扩大高等教育参与度 (WP) 中的作用的文献和证据。WP 政策力求解决不同社会群体对高等教育的接受差异，以及来自不同背景的学生在上大学后的不同经历（和成果）。助学金解决这个问题的有效性不仅取决于它们弥补经济劣势的能力，还取决于它们的提供对年轻人的态度和学生融入大学的影响。本系统综述不仅考虑了该领域最近开展的学术研究，而且还承认政府和非政府组织就 WP 开展的大量研究。调查结果强调了参与高等教育的社会经济差异的持续存在，即使在参加高等教育的低收入学生中，也强调了他们“适应”大学生活所面临的持续挑战。在提供有效的财政支持之前，需要采用一致的方法来识别最弱势的学生群体。虽然助学金可以克服参与的财务障碍，但其他非财务挑战依然存在，仅凭助学金就能有效促进高等教育的多样性尚未得到证实。