The most advantaged young people are more likely to be focused on university at a young age than their more disadvantaged peers, and more likely to go to a ‘higher tariff’ university, according to UCAS’ widest ever student survey.

In its survey, UCAS explored the factors that motivate young people to apply to HE and what they perceive the barriers to progression to HE to be.  The survey looked at whether those barriers and motivations are different for those applying to higher tariff universities, and how they vary for those from advantaged/disadvantaged groups.

Reasons for not applying to higher tariff universities included:

• A perception that the entry requirements were too high – more would have applied if they had known they had a chance of getting in below the published offer.
• There was a lack of understanding of career pathways from ‘academic-sounding’ degree courses.  Survey respondents believed higher tariff universities did not offer courses they were interested in.
• Least advantaged students felt the cost of living would be too high. In the report UCAS recommends that all universities provide accessible information about accommodation, transport and day-to-day living costs.
• Least advantaged students were less likely to think the university they went to was more important for securing a job.
• 75% of respondents said they would have applied to a higher tariff university if they were offered a travel voucher for an open day.