UCAS research forums

The UCAS research forums aim to provide:

  • increased understanding of the UK's education policy context
  • greater appreciation of the admissions experiences of our stakeholders (applicants, higher education institutions, schools and colleges)
  • robust approaches to research in the area of admissions and widening participation.


Please note the forums are held in Cheltenham, at UCAS' offices, from 2 to 4pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served from 1.30pm.

The forums are open to all members of UCAS staff, UCAS member institutions and to external research and policy contacts who would like to attend. There is no charge for attending the forums, but places will be allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis. Please contact research@ucas.ac.uk to book a place at any of the forums and to be added to the UCAS research forum mailing list.

Research forum programme for 2010:


15 September 2010: Dr Arnaud Chevalier

Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics Royal Holloway, University of London

Higher education decisions in the UK around the 2004 Higher Education Act.

The 2004 reforms of the financing of higher education in England dramatically changed the financial contributions that students make towards their tertiary education. Tuition fees were raised from £1,200 to £3,000 but became deferred. At the same time, income contingent loans were increased to account for maintenance and the more expensive in fees, and more generous means-tested grants were introduced.

It is important to understand how this reform affected the decision process of applicants and institutions in the light of the current debate on tuition fees. In this seminar, Dr Arnauld Chevalier will present outcomes from the research and discuss the implications of the 2004 Higher Education Act on the UK market.


13 October 2010: Dr Harriet Dunbar-Goddet

Senior Policy Officer, 1994 Group

Shaping prospective students' expectations of university

During 2010, the 1994 Group, are undertaking a JISC-funded project aimed at enhancing applicants' understanding of university experiences.

The overall aim is to produce a high-quality, interactive, online resource, aimed at prospective international and domestic students, their parents and families, considering applying to any UK university.

The resource will help manage student expectations of university learning, better inform the decisions of applicants, and better explain the nature and the different types of student contact that are on offer at UK universities. It will also provide some guidance for navigating the different sources of information available in the public domain.

As part of this work the Group is investigating: i) what is already being offered by UK universities and other websites in order to identify examples of excellence and best practice; ii) what information applicants would find most useful; and iii) the best methods for communicating such information. The findings from these investigations will be presented and discussed.


10 November: Professor James Elander, Head of the Centre for Psychological Research and Professor Lin Norton, Director of the HEA NTFS project 'Flying Start'


Easing the Transition into Academic Writing for Higher Education: Lessons from the Flying Start Project

Many students entering university struggle with writing their first assignments, and grapple with issues ranging from how to structure an essay and develop an argument, to a panic about exactly what is expected of them in their academic writing. For some, the experience of producing their first assignment can be a major influence on decisions about whether to continue in Higher Education. The problem is complex: no single countermeasure is likely to be effective, and a cross-sector approach will probably be needed to make a significant impact.

Funded by the Higher Education Academy for two years from September 2008, the Flying Start Project has focused on helping students of the 'League Table Generation' make the transition into Higher Education (see http://www.hope.ac.uk/flyingstart). The project has developed and evaluated mentoring programmes in which undergraduate student writing mentors work with FE students and school pupils to develop their writing skills. The team has also worked with teachers and lecturers across the schools, FE and HE sectors in a range of projects focusing on discipline-based issues in student writing transitions.

In this seminar, Professors James Elander (University of Derby) and Lin Norton (Liverpool Hope University) will present outcomes from the project and discuss the implications of the work. These include practical and pedagogic measures to support and promote student writing in the transition to university, and recommendations for national education policy.



December 2010: Richard Linley

Senior Policy Advisor, Action on Access

Title and abstract to follow.


Past research forums:

UCAS has run a full programme of research forums in 2009. For details of forums that have taken place, and pdfs of the presentations, please see past events.