Widening Access to Higher Education: A Case Study of a Fee-waiver Scheme in two Scottish Universities

The widening of access to higher education in the UK has been a key government policy priority over the past twenty years. A recent analysis of initiatives to widen access to higher education in Scotland demonstrates that this has been particularly significant for mature adult students (Watt & Paterson, 2001). Although there is evidence that participation in higher education has risen rapidly across all age groups since 1985, it has done so most rapidly amongst those aged 25 or more (Paterson, 1997). However, despite this evidence, the relative proportions of adults from different social groups participating in higher education remains largely unaltered. One crucial reason for this under-representation is funding policy. Evidence received by the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance (1999) confirmed that financial considerations create a strong deterrent to participation by non-traditional groups. This paper examines the efficacy of a scheme that seeks to widen access to higher education in Scotland by removing some of the financial barriers experienced by those adults with low incomes who wish to study on a part-time basis.