Inequality and inequity of outcomes persist in South African higher education despite policies to redress the effects of apartheid, which segregated black people from accessing good quality education. Policy in higher education uses the concept 'historically disadvantaged' in its interventions aimed to address inequality but the desired outcomes have not been achieved as higher education institutions particularly universities seem to struggle to create conducive environments for all students to participate successfully. Lack of clarity on what needs to be addressed and prioritised could be blamed for the ineffective interventions. Using the capability approach as advanced by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the paper identifies the most significant capabilities for student disadvantage, which universities should focus on in their interventions. This paper draws from semi-structured qualitative interviews from 26 diverse students from one South African university to argue that when students lack the financial income, affiliation and personal tenacity and hard work capabilities, their lives were affected the most. To that end, it is recommended that higher education institutions should prioritise to address these capabilities to ensure equal access, participation and success for all students.