Background

Research suggests that educational disadvantage exists across the life course and education sectors including the transition from second to third level. Recent decades have seen a dramatic decrease in early school leaving across Europe. However, in their 2021 report, Eurostat data showed that just 41% of the EU population aged 25-34 had a third level degree. The EU now has a policy target of 45% of 25-34-year-olds attaining tertiary education by 2030 (EUROSTAT, 2021b). In January 2022, equity and inclusion was identified as a clear priority by the EU commission in their Strategy for Universities. Following this, in March 2022 the EU commission released the Eurydice report titled ‘Towards Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education in Europe’. This report highlights how some education structures and policies tend to perpetuate the exclusion of socially disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and that their participation in higher education remains low across all EU Member States. In times of increased social and economic inequality, a major challenge for universities internationally is to address the lack of diversity and access for groups that are underrepresented. There is an increasing policy emphasis on how systems can support students from these groups to progress to Higher Education. However, research on the effectiveness of interventions which increase post-primary students’ aspirations and progression to higher education is limited. 

Theoretical Framework

Researchers have linked the lack of social and cultural capital of low-income students to the lack of access to higher education (Perna & Titus, 2005). Bourdieu described cultural capital as “institutionalised or widely shared high status cultural signals (attitudes, preferences, formal knowledge, behaviours, possessions and credentials) used for cultural and social exclusion form jobs and resources and the latter to exclusion from high status groups” (p. 158).  Bourdieu described how humans acquire cultural capital throughout childhood within the family. First generation students or students from low-income backgrounds are less likely to engage in conversations about possibility of college, to discuss the importance of academic success with their family or peers or to engage in educational activities outside of school.  Researchers argue that students with limited access to college going social networks have less post-secondary options compared to their more affluent peers who are exposed to a range of college going options (Bell, Rowan-Kenyon, & Perna, 2009; Farmer-Hinton, 2008; McDonagh, 2005). University Access programmes aim to support young people, through familiarising students with college campuses, college applications and providing information about courses, scholarships and grants. By giving students this information and support, they can be empowered to ulilise their social and cultural capital in educational contexts and enabling them to reach their full potential.

Research Aim

The Trinity Access 21 (TA21) project is a widening participation (WP) outreach initiative that aims to support students from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas to reach their full academic potential. The outreach programmes include, but are not limited to, mentoring programmes for students and a range of pathway to college activities that give students the information and skills needed to make informed decisions about college. This paper examines the evidence base for university access strategies by investigating the impact of a WP outreach intervention on students’ college readiness in Ireland. In so doing, it aims to provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners on what types of interventions work, and if they work, how and why are they effective.  

The paper uses data from a broader study on widening participation which surveys over 3600 students attending schools which have a disadvantaged status and receive additional funding from government based on this. All schools included in the study are linked with the university widening participation outreach programme. Students were asked about their level of participation with the TA21 outreach interventions, as well as self-reported educational outcomes on their college readiness. College readiness in this instance refers to four validated self-reported measures; active engagement in education, educational aspirations and goals, college application efficacy, and students’ confidence in college success. One-way MANCOVA tests were conducted in order to compare outcomes between those students who had participated in mentoring programmes and those who had not but were in the same schools, while controlling for students’ mother’s education. Mentor type and relationship was also investigated. In order to explore the impact of pathways to college activities on students’ college readiness, analyses were also conducted on students’ participation in Campus Tours; Application Clinics, College Project work; College Talks and Careers Fairs.

The findings confirm the positive effects of certain WP outreach programmes on students’ college readiness. In particular, there was a significant difference in college readiness scores when comparing students who had a college student as a mentor and those that did not, even after controlling for students’ mother’s education. Students who reported having a college student as a mentor or having a staff member from their school as a mentor reported having statistically higher scores on all four college readiness measures. Having an older student in your school as mentor predicted higher scores on two out of four measures of college readiness. Students’ perceived relationship with their mentor was particularly important in influencing higher college readiness scores. Findings showed that students who engaged in three or more Pathways to College activities had significantly higher scores on all measures of college readiness. These findings give important insights into the roll out of mentoring programmes and which types of mentors can be most impactful for young people from disadvantaged areas. Discussion of the analyses point to the fact that short, day-long events such as college fairs, campus tours, application clinics and college talks can be effective in increasing college readiness . However, multiple activities are needed throughout the year to ensure they have an impact on students’ college readiness. The paper also identifies important gaps in the scientific evidence base that warrant further research.

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