Universities UK has launched a new campaign on “first generation” students – which was well received, covered in depth on both the site and on the Wonkhe Show, and judging by our media monitoring, has generated a mountain of local press coverage.
It involves insightful data, illustrated with 100 deeply moving human stories, on the meaningful impact of university education on first generation students.
It also champions and highlights their contributions to a variety of sectors – including politics, healthcare, higher education, and science and technology – demonstrating just how important university is for many people.
Complexity around the definition of “first generation” led Harriet Coombes to conclude in her 2022 Higher Education Policy Institute report that it is no longer a useful indication of disadvantage – and should only be used alongside other definitions.
According to the report, two-thirds of students are first-generation students (this compliments HESA data from 21/22, which shows that 631,440 prospective students said their parents do not have higher education experience).
