‘Unaddressed’ cost pressures undermining university access work

A more regional and collaborative approach is needed to improve equal access to higher education institutions in London, a report argues, warning that universities are failing to address barriers such as housing costs and living expenses following recent regulatory changes.

The report, produced by London South Bank University in partnership with London Higher, analysed the Access and Participation Plans (APPs) of 43 London-based institutions and how they are responding to risks set out in the Office for Students’ (OfS) Equality of Opportunity Risk Register, which was introduced in 2023 as part of a new regulatory framework.

It found that few targets directly address cost pressures or the availability of accommodation, despite average rents in the capital now exceeding the maximum student maintenance loan and concerns about cost increasingly influencing students’ decisions about where to study.

The authors argue that a London-specific Equality of Opportunity Risk Register – developed with input from universities, local authorities, schools, colleges and community groups – is needed to better coordinate action on these shared challenges.

“Our analysis shows that while individual universities are doing what the regulatory framework asks of them, the sum of those efforts is falling short of what students and learners actually need,” said lead author Antony Moss, the group executive director and pro vice-chancellor at London South Bank University and chair of the London Uni Connect partnership.

“Too much activity is concentrated on information and guidance, while the most material barriers for disadvantaged students – particularly cost-of-living pressures and the availability of affordable accommodation – remain largely unaddressed.

“The Equality of Opportunity Risk Register is a powerful tool, but when it is only applied institution by institution, it cannot capture or tackle risks that are fundamentally regional in nature. Our findings highlight a structural gap in the current approach: persistent inequalities that no single provider can resolve alone.”

The report also argues that since the OfS introduced the new regulatory framework in 2023, London universities have set fewer access-related targets, raising concerns that progress on improving access may be “under threat”.

While collaboration is encouraged by the regulator, the report says cooperation between institutions is often “transactional” and lacks depth, adding that there is limited engagement with Uni Connect – a government-funded scheme that brings universities, colleges and local organisations together.

Rather than a lack of effort from individual universities, the report identifies a “structural gap” – there is no effective system to coordinate action across a region, leaving institutions to tackle shared problems in isolation.

In addition to the proposed London-wide risk register, the report calls for a stronger role for Uni Connect to coordinate activity across the capital and for more regional interventions to support under-represented groups, including care leavers, young adult carers, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller students, and those from service family backgrounds.

seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com