Universities urged to work harder to recruit disadvantaged students

Universities should make greater efforts to spot talent among disadvantaged students and place special emphasis on encouraging white working-class men in order to widen access to higher education, according to a new report backed by British universities. The report – produced by the sector at the request of the government – found that “socio-economic disadvantage has more persistent and far-reaching impact on access to and outcomes from higher education” than any other single cause. But the study by Universities UK’s social mobility action group offered few concrete suggestions on how to overcome the effects of disadvantage, and instead called for further data collection, analysis and sharing of best practice between institutions. Read More.