West, Anne 
ORCID: 0000-0003-2932-7667, Emmerson, Carl, Frayne, Christine and Hind, Audrey
(2009)
Examining the impact of opportunity bursaries on the financial circumstances and attitudes of undergraduate students in England.
Higher Education Quarterly, 63 (2).
pp. 119-140.
ISSN 1468-2273
Abstract
Notwithstanding the expansion of higher education across the OECD, there continues to be concern about the levels of participation amongst those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In response to this, a new form of financial support for students from low-income families, the 'opportunity bursary', was introduced for a limited period in England from 2001/02. Surveys of two cohorts of opportunity-bursary applicants were carried out and these suggested possible psychological, behavioural and economic impacts. Fewer opportunity-bursary recipients than non-recipients reported that part-time work had interfered with their studies and more reported that the bursary had made them less worried about meeting the costs of going to university. There was some evidence that the scheme led to increased retention in the first year of university study; it also appeared to lead to lower levels of debt, in particular bank overdrafts or credit card debt.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0951-5224 |
| Additional Information: | © 2009 The Authors |
| Divisions: | Social Policy |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance L Education > L Education (General) |
| Date Deposited: | 05 May 2009 13:54 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Apr 2024 08:16 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/23896 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
