No abstract

The questionnaire survey reported in this paper is part of an ongoing evaluation of the effect of a bursary scheme on recruitment to Cambridge University. It sought to identify factors that encouraged or discouraged highly successful A Level students from applying to Cambridge. Findings reveal three main dimensions associated with the decision to apply to Cambridge, the nature of the courses, the prestige of the university and anxiety about the application process combined with fear of failure. Further analyses showed that there were complex interactions between these three dimensions which governed the decision to apply to Cambridge. These findings are relevant to other prestigious universities. The availability of a bursary did appear to influence the decisions of those who were eligible, but its influence was not as great as some of the other factors. Literature reviewDespite rapid expansion of higher education (HE) in the 1960s, Britain's participation rate was relatively low when compared with similar developed countries. In 1988, the rate was about 18.7 per cent at age 18-19 in full-time education and training in (aggregated) England, Scotland and Wales (OECD, 1990), compared with about 55 per cent in the USA, 60 per cent in France and 65 per cent in Germany. Since the mid-1990s, however, the government has been determined to increase the number of British citizens who benefit from HE, and by 2000 the participation rate had risen to 43 per cent in England (DfEE, 2000). The Government's White Paper 'The Future of Higher Education' suggested that

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract