Access isn’t the only issue...

In recent years, there has been an increased focus in getting students from
disadvantaged backgrounds into university, however there hasn’t been the same
emphasis in keeping these students at university.

Yet statistics indicate that young students from less privileged backgrounds are more likely to drop out of their course (8.8%) compared to the average student (6.2%).

There are various contributing factors to this discrepancy in drop-out rates including financial difficulties, cultural and social differences and a lack of practical support. The combination of these factors may make students less likely to take up certain opportunities and experiences at university. At worst, students will drop-out university. 

​Our aim

Pathways want to ensure students from disadvantaged backgrounds have equal
access to experiences and opportunities at university, as their peers. Our aim is to
increase uni readiness in these students before they start university through our
summer workshops.

We defined disadvantaged students based on research including; first generation
university students, pupils who were eligible for free school meals, students from
Black, Asian or any ethnic minority group, lives(d) in social housing, young carers,
and those who have previously been in care.

The content of the workshops will include:

• Budgeting & Finance sessions
• Study skills session
• Wellbeing and health
• Careers sessions
• Uni Student stories
• Q&A panels

As part of our long-term plan to provide students with prolonged support, we aim to
pair students with a student mentor already at their university to provide on-going
support through their first term. As this term is seen as particularly hard for some
students due to adjusting to new environments.

Our workshops are set to launch this September for who meet the specified criteria
and have a university offer for Autumn 2018.

Our Call to Action
If you know any students who you think may benefit from this please forward them to our out Twitter and Instagram @Pathways__ for more info or straight to our application form here to apply!
 

Pathways is part of the Uprising West London Leadership Programme 2018.