1. WIDENING PARTICIPATION IN A CHANGING FUNDING AND POLICY ARENA Dame Julia Goodfellow, Vice Chancellor University of Kent, and President of Universities UK

2. Students in UK HE 2013-14 (Change from 2012-13)

3. Changes to the pre- higher education sector Demographics Changes to exam systems Shift in entry qualifications from applicants Disparities in access to outreach activities

4. How good are we now? Lower participation from the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. 3 in 5 1 in 4

5. How good are we now ? Participation rate among young men remains lower than among young women

6. How good are we now? Widening Participation in a chaning funding and policy arena And the gap is larger for those from disadvantaged backgrounds

7. How good are we now? BME participation

8. How good are we now? Decline in part time students

9. BME attainment

10. What are we doing? e.g. University of Kent Brompton Academy’s lead sponsor Extensive student ambassador scheme Outreach work with 20 Kent Medway Progression Federation Schools HEAT (the higher education tracking database) on which Kent leads Strong Partnership scheme with non-Grammar schools

11. Government targets on widening participation Increase by 20% the number of black and minority ethnic students going to university by 2020. Double the rate of entry into higher education among those from the least advantaged backgrounds Special attention paid to young people from Caribbean heritage and white British boys from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Ensuring that disabled people are able to fully participate in higher education and achieve strong outcomes

12. What does this mean for the sector? Nearly 7% annual increase in the entry rate for 18 year olds from the least advantaged backgrounds Around 50,000 more BME full-time undergraduate entrants to English higher education

13. Green paper New Office for Students to champion student interests - c hanges to the role of OFFA UUK invited to lead Social Mobility Advisory Group Teaching Excellence Framework (linked to fee increases) Universities minister Jo Johnson said "widening participation and access" would be "intimately" linked with the new teaching excellence framework, and warned institutions they would be judged on progress made by disadvantaged students.

14. Wider funding and policy landscape Removal of student numbers cap in England Changes to Disability Student Allowance Removal of maintenance grants Consultation on postgraduate funding Name-blind applications via UCAS Continuing constraints on public expenditure, including cuts to BIS budget

15. Comprehensive spending review – UUK ‘asks’ Investment to be maintained in Student Opportunity grant Call to government to work with stakeholders to further investigate the decline in part-time student numbers Commitment to look at options arising from Independent Student Funding Panel Report (June 2015) Increase in fee levels Government should commit to an increase in investment in teaching capital to support expansion

16. Call to action Evidence and feedback starts now!  How do we accelerate progress?  How can we be more innovative?  What examples do you have of ‘what works’? Call for evidence in the new year