The Committee is undertaking a short inquiry into progress on widening access to higher education.

What is widening access?

Widening access aims to make higher education more accessible to people from under-represented groups.

Background

Universities are currently working toward a target to widen access. By 2030, students from the 20% most deprived backgrounds (SIMD 0-20) should represent 20% of full-time, first-degree entrants to higher education.

The next interim target is for 18% of full-time, first-degree university entrants to be from SIMD 0-20 backgrounds by 2026.

The Scottish Funding Council published its annual Report on Widening Access for 2022-23 in October this year. The report found:

• 16.3% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first-degree entrants to university were from SIMD 0-20 backgrounds in 2022-23, down from 16.5% the previous year
• 18.7% of Scottish-domiciled all undergraduate HE entrants (universities and colleges) were from SIMD 0-20 backgrounds in 2022-23, down from 19.1% the previous year.

The widening access targets focus on entrants from areas with the highest levels of deprivation.

There are no specific targets to increase representation of disabled students, students from minority ethnic backgrounds and students with care experience.

The inquiry

The Committee will explore the following:

• what is needed for colleges and universities to meet the next interim target
• what access initiatives are showing success
• what impact widening access is having on other SIMD groups
• whether the work of the Scottish Government and partners to introduce additional data measures is progressing, and when and how this might be incorporated into targets
• what access challenges exist for disabled, minority ethnic and care experienced students outwith SIMD0-20 areas, and what might be done to address these challenges