Admission and success for low SES students

About

As the intake to higher education has expanded to meet social equity targets in increase the participation of low socio-economic status (SES) students, the student body has diversified. Low SES students are more likely to have been admitted via alternate entry modes; study remotely; be mature age and have family and work commitments.

This project adopted structural equation modelling on sample data along with student interviews from four different universities to study the impacts of expanded student intakes on low SES student retention, success and completion.

Aim

To develop actionable knowledge for governments, university leaders, discipline heads and program directors to boost the retention, success and completion rates of low SES students.

Funding

National Priorities Pool funding 2019

Researchers

  • Associate Professor Mike Prosser, The University of Melbourne
  • Professor Julia Coyle, University of Wollongong
  • Professor Michael Corbett, Acadia University, Canada
  • Doris YP Leung, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Professor David Kember, University of Tasmania

Outcomes

Kember, D., Leung, D. and Prosser, M 2019, 'Has the open door become a revolving door? The impact on attrition of moving from elite to mass higher education,' Studies in Higher Education, pp. 12-. doi:10.1080/03075079.2019.1629411

More information

Associate Professor Mike Prosser, Melbourne CSHE, The University of Melbourne