From acting in an award-winning film to producing a number one album, getting to the top of the creative industries is a dream for many young people. But access to such careers, both behind the scenes and in front of an audience, is currently far from equal. For young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in particular, there are major…

In view of the so-called 'refugee crisis' which began in late 2014, there is a growing potential demand for higher education opportunities amongst refugee communities in England and more widely in Europe. Whilst exact numbers are not certain, it is necessary to establish whether such demands can be met at all. Based on in-depth semi-structured…

The extraordinary expansion of higher education has not been accompanied by more equitable access to universities for various disadvantaged groups. Rural youth is at the heart of this study that draws on secondary data and literature to examine rural-urban disparities in higher education access in two high-participation systems in the Caucasus and…

This study aims to understand trust and affect that are developed during young people's educational migration from West Kalimantan to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It further questions to what extent trust encourages migration and young migrants' adaptation at the place of destination. In-depth interview and participant observation are utilised for…

This qualitative study analyzes interviews with 17 first-generation Latina/o/x students. This study bridges funds of knowledge and social reproduction theory to examine the bi-directional exchange of familial funds of knowledge and capital relevant to higher education in Latina/o/x families. Students' familial funds of knowledge assisted them as…

Evaluating the impact of widening participation interventions can be challenging. This article discusses some of the difficulties in "attributing" change to complex widening participation interventions and suggests that the Theory of Change (ToC) approach can address some of these challenges by evidencing the "contribution"…

Native Americans continue to be one of the lowest represented ethnic groups in postsecondary education and present some of the lowest retention/graduation rates of any group. In the interest of supporting all students, this study examines Native American students' notions of success as well as their academic and personal experiences in a majority…

This paper analyzes challenges indigenous Peruvian college students face in completing their studies, based on field research that included interviews with Peruvian higher education leaders, administrators, researchers, and faculty, and a review of published research. Since 2012, the government of Peru has sponsored Beca 18, a comprehensive…

While access to higher education has increased for Indigenous Australians, participation and completion rates remain lower than those of non-Indigenous Australians. A sound evidence base is needed to ground equity initiatives if they are to address the specific needs of Indigenous students. This paper presents the results of a scoping review of…

In Moscow, one priority area of urban social policy has focused on the formation of equal opportunities for handicapped people and those with impaired health in the process of their integration into all spheres of life and activity, including professional education. The year 2009 was declared to be the Year of Equal Opportunities. The…

Within a single generation Nepal has seen a tremendous increase in higher education opportunities. This rapid growth has encouraged the participation of many young people from social groups previously unrepresented at university. A more questionable consequence however has been the growing divergence and complexity of the educational landscape…

College access programs like Upward Bound have been found to build social capital among a target population, stimulate academic preparedness, and increase a student's knowledge of the college decision process. However, little research is available that establishes the points during the college decision process at which college access programs have…

In this article, I explore men's educational experiences and aspirations in the context of UK policy discourses of widening participation and migration. Critiquing discourses that oversimplify gendered access to higher education, I develop an analysis of the impact of masculine subjectivities on processes of subjective construction in relation to…

There is a lack of access to technology blended with face-to-face instruction and learning in Haiti. Despite this lack of access, some Haitian college students have nevertheless leveraged technology to overcome the obstacles of poverty and obtain a higher education. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 20 adult…

Undocumented students, lacking United States residency or citizenship, select colleges annually. These students navigate a college application process in California whereby they prove AB 540 residency, take standardized exams, and attend competitive four-year universities without a social security number, a driver's license, or federal financial…