• What is the impact of funding and understanding of student finance on decisions to study, course type and mode of study (both for UK and foreign students? How are the debt, cost and value of student finance understood and experienced, by different social groups?
Background
DfE research interests for this pillar of the Opportunity Mission include enabling learners to make decisions that are informed by understanding the opportunities and support available, especially participation in further and higher education, and how continuing education affects their future opportunities. We also need to explore how our sectors can best prepare learners to take advantage of those opportunities, including in secondary education. We are especially interested in practices in further and higher education that engage less researched groups, such as those with care experience, those with SEND, experience of Alternate Provision, and children with a history of offending. However, this topic is not specific to the further and higher education sectors; for example, how different occupations and opportunities are conveyed to children at pre-school and school will influence their willingness to consider those paths in later life. (For brevity, please read all references to children as encompassing both children and young people where appropriate.)
Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-areas-of-research-interest
Next steps
Get in touch with research.engagement@education.gov.uk
Topics
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Higher education bursaries and performance: annual test scores, drop out and degree outcomes
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Why might this be relevant?
This project specifically focuses on the impact of higher education bursaries on student decisions, academic performance, and outcomes, which directly relates to the impact of funding and understanding of student finance on decisions to study.
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INEQUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION OUTCOMES IN THE UK: SUBJECTIVE EXPECTATIONS, PREFERENCES, AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
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Why might this be relevant?
This project aims to understand how socio-economic status influences university outcomes, including dropout rates and degree classification, which directly relates to the impact of funding and understanding of student finance on decisions to study.
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Why might this be relevant?
While this project focuses on improving support for sixth form students, it indirectly addresses the issue of understanding the impact of funding and student finance on decisions to study by aiming to enhance support for post-school choices.