Common use of Expenditure on Additional Access and Retention Measures Clause in Contracts

Expenditure on Additional Access and Retention Measures. Indicative expenditure is shown below highlighting the balance of access and student success activities, whilst at the same time enhancing bursary support to recognise the fact that a significant number of UCLan students enter from low income families. Feedback from students and from the Students’ Union is that such measures encourage low income families into higher education and improve progression rates. Access £485,550 Student Success £2,836,191 Progression £812,500 Financial support £4,748,079 Monitoring and evaluation £40,000 All of the expenditure noted is “countable” for the purposes of this Access Agreement. Financial support will be provided to students in cash and through payments to support learning. Additional funds will be allocated to enhance the hardship fund to be administered by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Bursary Fund Panel. Through these additional funds we will be able to provide more targeted financial support to mature students, especially student parents and to students in need at appropriate points throughout the student lifecycle. Our approach to financial support is evolving based on discussions with the Students’ Union and on feedback from previous and current First Years as well as national research and feedback. The Students’ Union favours an approach which continues to provide a high level of support to the very poorest students, but allows for differing levels of support for other students presenting varying needs. Feedback from previous and current First Year students suggests that although the availability of financial support is not a key determinant in the decision to come to University, once here it is highly valued and may make a significant difference in some students’ ability to stay the course, thus impacting favourably on student success and progression. While recognising that national research does not point to bursaries having significant impact in widening participation, we feel that tailored investment, based on impartial and auditable criteria, will allow interventions by way of financial support to be used to maximise student retention and achievement.