Using insight to drive positive change

UCAS is a digital equaliser for students from all backgrounds. This includes personalised content though the UCAS Hub, raising the understanding and awareness of available routes and support, and over 40 national exhibitions we hold each year. These are attended by over 40,000 students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with vital face-to-face support.

Our insight provides a spotlight on the experience of disadvantaged students and the barriers they face. Since late 2020, we have released 11 insight reports – looking at the experience and motivations of the 40,000 LGBT+ students who apply each year, the one in eight applicants who share information about a disability, the growing number of care experienced individuals, and the 450% increase in students sharing a mental health condition as part of their application. In addition, we’ve explored the key moments of choice for students, including the one in three who consider higher education as early as primary school (with advantaged students 40% more likely to do so). With this, we release over 8 million open data points each cycle to help governments, regulators, and researchers understand the latest progression trends.

Following a national consultation with direct feedback from over 100 stakeholders, we’ve developed a new five-point plan as part of our Fair Access Programme, that aims to build on the extensive work already underway across the sector:

- students estranged from their parents
- students with caring responsibilities
- students with parenting responsibilities
- refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to stay in the UK
- students from military families and military veterans or service leavers
- a self-declared free school meals (FSM) question

For each, we have worked closely with the expert charities to ensure we provide a full support package for these students, including personalised content. These questions will transform the insight we have about these students, and the way they access support.

We have used our data science capabilities to transform the insight universities and colleges have of their students through our Modernised Contextual Data Service, which uses the Multiple Equalities Measure to provide a truer sense of their context. We’ve enhanced this understanding further through the inclusion of verified FSM data.

Partnerships are a key way to make meaningful, lasting change to the sector. We work with third sector partners and charities to ensure we present students with the expert voice, but to also maximise the impact and reach of these groups:

Charities that support carers and estranged students, to design and word our new WP questions and supporting content, to encourage the maximum engagement.

To encourage more positive disclosure around mental health in applications and trial new ways of speaking to students to improve engagement.

To test and improve our outreach evaluator service, which helps organisations understand the impact of their activities in higher education.

We’re developing a new outreach connection service to help connect schools and students to the appropriate outreach activities, following feedback from our consultation that this can sometimes be challenging to navigate.

We’re developing truly personalised journeys for disadvantaged students, presenting them with the content and guidance they need to understand their options and support available, helping to tackle the knowledge gaps of lesser supported students. Our research consistently shows this is a key ask of disadvantaged students.

We are continuing to develop leading insight on the progression of disadvantaged students. We’re working with The Sutton Trust to research when, why, and how the ‘lightbulb moment’ occurs for those choosing apprenticeships. With this knowledge, we’ll be able to better raise the profile of apprenticeships and serve them at the right time in the student journey.