NEON is at the forefront of supporting the knowledge base in the access to HE field in a number of crucial policy areas.
The outlook for outreach
The report report shows investment in widening access to higher education to fall if Uni-Connect programme not renewed.
Will abolishing BTECs mean reversing widening access to higher education?
New evidence shows that the proposed reforms to Level 3 qualifications may set back government efforts to widen access to higher education (HE) by at least 5 years.
The Future of Student Outcomes
The report argues for student focused approach to improving higher education outcomes.
Voices: What next for the National Collaborative Outreach Programme?
Suggestions from NCOP Leads
A student finance national education programme
Recommendations for how student finance information can be clearer and more accessible for everyone.
Working Class Heroes 2019
Understanding access to higher education for white students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The financial concerns of students 2018
This research finds that the available information on tuition fees and the student loan system in England is often inaccessible and unclear, and that students want more information on how universities spend tuition fee income.
Does Cost Matter? 2017
NEON has released the latest preliminary findings in the third cycle of their ‘Does Cost Matter?’ research project. The research carried out over the last 3 years with over 4000 participants shows how the high cost student finance system is forcing would-be students to make choices that could increase their risk of dropping out and under-performing in HE. The Does Cost Matter research series has included young students from over 200 post-16 providers from across the country.
Does Cost Matter? 2016
In 2015-16, NEON undertook ‘Does Cost Matter 2?’ in partnership with the University College Union (UCU). This research enabled NEON to contribute to the debate surrounding access to higher education policy and cost. It also strengthened the work that member HEIs/organisations can do in their local area by enhancing their understanding of the learners they serve.
Does Cost Matter? 2015
In 2014-15, NEON undertook a major piece of work to explore why despite the increase in tuition fees the participation of those from low participation neighbourhoods has not declined. The research looked at the HE application intentions of year 13 students from both low, and ‘non-low’ participation backgrounds to explore the role of cost in their HE decision making and if indeed ‘cost does not matter’. It had a sample size of 1500 learners and was launched in April 2015.
GCSE Attainment Project
In 2015-16, NEON managed and coordinated a successful bid by the University of Leicester for a research project under the HEFCE NNCO project funding. This project aimed to understand why certain schools and colleges, despite having large numbers of disadvantaged learners, have a higher level of participation in higher education than predicted by their GCSE attainment. The project ran until December 2016.