Maximising the capacity for equity scholarships to improve participation and success in higher education by people from low socio-economic status backgrounds

Clerke, C; Raffaele, C

Maximising the capacity for equity scholarships to improve participation and success in higher education by people from low socio-economic status backgrounds

Clerke, C

Raffaele, C

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Publisher:: University of Technology Sydney
Publication Type:: Report
Citation:: 2016, pp. 1-104
Issue Date:: 2016-07-31

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Clerke, C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5453-4820
dc.contributor.author	Raffaele, C
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-24T01:17:30Z
dc.date.available	2022-01-24T01:17:30Z
dc.date.issued	2016-07-31
dc.identifier.citation	2016, pp. 1-104
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153483
dc.description.abstract	EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study investigated the extent to which the receipt in 2015 of a UTS equity scholarship and financial assistance is perceived to impact on LSES students’ performance, engagement with university life, and general wellbeing. Its purpose was to make recommendations for ways to improve the provision of equity scholarships and financial assistance at UTS. The project outputs include this research report and a video of the forum held at UTS on 29 February 2016. KEY FINDINGS The key finding of this study is that the receipt of UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance, regardless of the amount received, has a significant impact on LSES recipients’ engagement in university life, academic performance and participation in the UTS social life, and is seen as helping during their transition to university and their decision to stay on and continue their studies. Academic, material, personal and emotional direct benefits are perceived as ensuing from the receipt of equity scholarships and financial assistance, in particular, the reduction of the ‘stigma’ of disadvantage. Benefits also extend beyond to indirectly benefit their families, communities and future generations. A clear institutional benefit to UTS is the perception among recipients is that ‘UTS cares’, which in turn contributes to students’ aspirations to succeed and to ‘give back’. Emerging from this investigation is clear evidence that personal interaction between individuals (staff, family, friends, students), information, material artefacts, environments and processes, makes university study a possibility for LSES students (aspiration) while supporting them to help make it a reality (access and success). Key findings in relation to the promotion and awareness, application, and perceived impacts of and benefits to LSES students once at university are framed in relation to personal interactions. Promotion and awareness (personal interactions and contacts) 1. The existing UTS engagement in relational strategies represented by outreach programs and the establishment and maintenance of personal relationships between UTS staff and advisors of potential students in partner institutions is highly effective in helping students access information about equity scholarships and financial assistance. Once aware of their existence, most students report few problems accessing information about UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance on the UTS and UAC websites. 2. There are discontinuities in information about institutional equity scholarships and financial assistance programs and access schemes, who is eligible for these, and the timing of application periods across UTS staff and advisors in the LSES schools and TAFEs with which they are partnered. These discontinuities presumably extend to students, who often rely on their advisors for information, advice, referral and support. Application (face-to-face support) 1. Access to equity scholarships and financial assistance in LSES students’ decisions to apply for university is complexly linked to access to affordable transport enabling them to travel between work, study and home, and cultural barriers related to perceptions of UTS as an alien place in the city, far removed from their local neighbourhoods. This represents a complex combination of factors that influences students’ decisions to apply for university. 2. Upon deciding LSES students decide to apply for university and after they find out about the existence of UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance, the existing strategy of opening applications throughout the academic year is effective in enabling students to apply when they are most in need, particularly if they receive personal support from UTS staff. Perceived impacts and benefits once at university (holistic wrap around support) 1. The existing strategy of providing a mix of equity scholarship and financial assistance products represents an effective holistic, wrap-around program that supports LSES students in significant and diverse ways beyond the financial. This includes personally and academically enabling LSES students to stay at university, succeed in their studies, engage in formal academic peer networks and informal peer social networks that help them feel ‘normal’, and access work and career opportunities that they would otherwise not have had. 2. Regardless of the amount of financial assistance received, LSES students report the impacts as significantly reducing stress, decreasing hours in paid work, enabling more time for studying, thereby increasing grades, confidence, motivation and desire to ‘give back’. Contemporary issues for equity practitioners There is diverse and keen interest in institutional equity scholarships for LSES students as well for rural and remote students. The UTS forum was timely given the recent policy change in Commonwealth Startup funding. Given the focus on the local context at UTS, it is particularly relevant to note the wide range of participants attending from across Australia, moving the discussions beyond what is relevant to institutions in NSW, such as universities, UAC and schools. Moreover, there was unanimous recognition that the equity scholarships area is a complex and shifting space, which requires further investigation at institutional, sectoral and policy levels. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. UTS increases the ways in which potential students can personally interact with staff to find out about UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance; and that UTS build personal contacts with student advisors in partner schools and institutions. The second is that UTS use a consistent communication strategy that facilitates personal contact with UTS staff in order to: promote equity scholarships and financial assistance to potential students and their advisors; provide consistent information about the ‘ecology of services’ at UTS; specify differences between equity scholarships and financial assistance and access schemes; describe who is eligible; and present clear application and notification timelines. 2. UTS develops a strategic, coordinated response to the complexity of factors that influence LSES students’ decisions to apply for university in the promotion of equity scholarships and financial assistance. The second is that UTS retain the strategy of opening applications for UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance throughout the year, while increasing the provision of face-to-face support when LSES students decide to apply. 3. UTS retains the five-tier, multi-factor selection criteria strategy that diversifies LSES students’ eligibility for equity scholarships and financial assistance beyond financial hardship alone. 4. UTS initiates an internal communication strategy across administrative and academic staff in faculties and units about the range of equity scholarships and financial assistance, eligibility, selection process, possible amounts available, application timelines and processes, and who to contact for more information. 5. In its external and internal promotional strategies UTS directly references the range of benefits students reported as the result of having received equity scholarships and financial assistance.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	University of Technology Sydney
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Maximising the capacity for equity scholarships to improve participation and success in higher education by people from low socio-economic status backgrounds
dc.type	Report
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Provost
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Provost/TD School
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-01-24T01:17:28Z
pubs.confidential	false
pubs.place-of-publication	Broadway
pubs.publication-status	Published online
dc.location	Broadway

Abstract:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study investigated the extent to which the receipt in 2015 of a UTS equity scholarship and financial assistance is perceived to impact on LSES students’ performance, engagement with university life, and general wellbeing. Its purpose was to make recommendations for ways to improve the provision of equity scholarships and financial assistance at UTS. The project outputs include this research report and a video of the forum held at UTS on 29 February 2016. KEY FINDINGS The key finding of this study is that the receipt of UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance, regardless of the amount received, has a significant impact on LSES recipients’ engagement in university life, academic performance and participation in the UTS social life, and is seen as helping during their transition to university and their decision to stay on and continue their studies. Academic, material, personal and emotional direct benefits are perceived as ensuing from the receipt of equity scholarships and financial assistance, in particular, the reduction of the ‘stigma’ of disadvantage. Benefits also extend beyond to indirectly benefit their families, communities and future generations. A clear institutional benefit to UTS is the perception among recipients is that ‘UTS cares’, which in turn contributes to students’ aspirations to succeed and to ‘give back’. Emerging from this investigation is clear evidence that personal interaction between individuals (staff, family, friends, students), information, material artefacts, environments and processes, makes university study a possibility for LSES students (aspiration) while supporting them to help make it a reality (access and success). Key findings in relation to the promotion and awareness, application, and perceived impacts of and benefits to LSES students once at university are framed in relation to personal interactions. Promotion and awareness (personal interactions and contacts) 1. The existing UTS engagement in relational strategies represented by outreach programs and the establishment and maintenance of personal relationships between UTS staff and advisors of potential students in partner institutions is highly effective in helping students access information about equity scholarships and financial assistance. Once aware of their existence, most students report few problems accessing information about UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance on the UTS and UAC websites. 2. There are discontinuities in information about institutional equity scholarships and financial assistance programs and access schemes, who is eligible for these, and the timing of application periods across UTS staff and advisors in the LSES schools and TAFEs with which they are partnered. These discontinuities presumably extend to students, who often rely on their advisors for information, advice, referral and support. Application (face-to-face support) 1. Access to equity scholarships and financial assistance in LSES students’ decisions to apply for university is complexly linked to access to affordable transport enabling them to travel between work, study and home, and cultural barriers related to perceptions of UTS as an alien place in the city, far removed from their local neighbourhoods. This represents a complex combination of factors that influences students’ decisions to apply for university. 2. Upon deciding LSES students decide to apply for university and after they find out about the existence of UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance, the existing strategy of opening applications throughout the academic year is effective in enabling students to apply when they are most in need, particularly if they receive personal support from UTS staff. Perceived impacts and benefits once at university (holistic wrap around support) 1. The existing strategy of providing a mix of equity scholarship and financial assistance products represents an effective holistic, wrap-around program that supports LSES students in significant and diverse ways beyond the financial. This includes personally and academically enabling LSES students to stay at university, succeed in their studies, engage in formal academic peer networks and informal peer social networks that help them feel ‘normal’, and access work and career opportunities that they would otherwise not have had. 2. Regardless of the amount of financial assistance received, LSES students report the impacts as significantly reducing stress, decreasing hours in paid work, enabling more time for studying, thereby increasing grades, confidence, motivation and desire to ‘give back’. Contemporary issues for equity practitioners There is diverse and keen interest in institutional equity scholarships for LSES students as well for rural and remote students. The UTS forum was timely given the recent policy change in Commonwealth Startup funding. Given the focus on the local context at UTS, it is particularly relevant to note the wide range of participants attending from across Australia, moving the discussions beyond what is relevant to institutions in NSW, such as universities, UAC and schools. Moreover, there was unanimous recognition that the equity scholarships area is a complex and shifting space, which requires further investigation at institutional, sectoral and policy levels. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. UTS increases the ways in which potential students can personally interact with staff to find out about UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance; and that UTS build personal contacts with student advisors in partner schools and institutions. The second is that UTS use a consistent communication strategy that facilitates personal contact with UTS staff in order to: promote equity scholarships and financial assistance to potential students and their advisors; provide consistent information about the ‘ecology of services’ at UTS; specify differences between equity scholarships and financial assistance and access schemes; describe who is eligible; and present clear application and notification timelines. 2. UTS develops a strategic, coordinated response to the complexity of factors that influence LSES students’ decisions to apply for university in the promotion of equity scholarships and financial assistance. The second is that UTS retain the strategy of opening applications for UTS equity scholarships and financial assistance throughout the year, while increasing the provision of face-to-face support when LSES students decide to apply. 3. UTS retains the five-tier, multi-factor selection criteria strategy that diversifies LSES students’ eligibility for equity scholarships and financial assistance beyond financial hardship alone. 4. UTS initiates an internal communication strategy across administrative and academic staff in faculties and units about the range of equity scholarships and financial assistance, eligibility, selection process, possible amounts available, application timelines and processes, and who to contact for more information. 5. In its external and internal promotional strategies UTS directly references the range of benefits students reported as the result of having received equity scholarships and financial assistance.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153483