How the ‘Understanding the UG experience of students previously eligible for Free School Meals’ report will help you:
- Inform transition plans and support services needed for students eligible for free school meals
- Identify key information needs and challenges associated with engaging this student group
- Provide evidence to support your university’s activities with Free School Meal eligible pupils for widening access and progression plans
- Provide an evidence base to secure the necessary funding for new work/initiatives, and engage stakeholders in a joined-up approach
We also ran a project linked to this, looking at recruitment decisions of young people eligible for Free School Meals so you may be interested in the details about that project too.
More about the ‘UG experience of students previously eligible for Free School Meals’ project
This research project brought together Alterline and four universities to gather evidence exploring the on-course experience of undergraduate students who had previously been eligible for free school meals and how universities could better support this group in their transition to university, to continue in their studies and to succeed.
The project consisted of two methodologies: online diaries and one-to-one interviews. The diaries took place between 3rd March 2025 and 23rd March 2025 and 50 students took part. The interviews took place between 21st March 2025 and 4th April 2025 and 10 were conducted. The full visual research report includes an executive summary and practical recommendations.
Report contents include:
- What the student experience is like for undergraduates who were previously eligible for free school meals
- The barriers students face which impact their ability to continue and succeed on their course
- What support and interventions students are currently accessing and how effective they are
- What further support students who were eligible for free school meals need and at what point of their undergraduate journey
- Students’ expectations of their life after university and how prepared they feel
- Have students considered postgraduate studies? What barriers do they face in consideration and what information would help
Project partners
This project was developed in partnership with a number of clients who helped to shape the research design through our collaborative University Futures model. With thanks to:
- Goldsmith’s University
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Bristol
- University of Exeter