Financial Support Evaluation Access & Participation Plans 2024-2025

In the UK, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are regulated by the Office for Students (OfS), under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (HERA). The OfS regulates and monitors HEIs to ensure each meets the conditions of registration. Access and Participation Plans (APP) are developed to set out “how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education” (OfS, 2021). The Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) conducts the evaluation for the Access and Participation Plan at the University of Northampton. This ‘Financial Support Evaluation’ report is focused on the data surrounding the University’s financial support gathered in 2022/23 through statistical data from 2017/18, and 2020/21, survey data from 240 current students, and qualitative data collected through 25 semi-structured interviews carried out in the 2022/23 academic year. The evaluation of the Access and Participation Plans is ongoing, and this report builds on the data collected through the survey tool, statistical tool and interview tool, which have all highlighted the positive impact of the financial support package provided by UON, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the need for more awareness amongst staff on the support available for students (which are consistent with the findings from the last year’s report).