Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Out of Reach? University for People from Low Socio-Economic Status Backgrounds

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Student Equity in Australian Higher Education

Abstract

Low socio-economic status (SES) background remains the most prevalent marker of disadvantage and is often compounded by other factors. Regional and Indigenous students, for example, are much more likely to be from low SES backgrounds than other Australians. Despite the massification of the system, the introduction of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), and the establishment of targeted funding to support A Fair Chance for All (also referred to hereafter as the Framework) objectives, inequality has remained stubborn. Throughout the past 25 years, the number of low SES university participants has risen substantially, but the overall low SES proportion of the university share has not.

In this chapter we consider the impact of the Framework’s targets and strategies, and more recent targets established for the low SES cohort by the Australian Government following the Bradley Review of Higher Education. A Fair Chance for All enabled socio-economic status to be measured consistently for the first time within higher education, generating important data, debate and policies to address structural inequities within Australian society. Despite these strengths, the effects of class remain highly visible. Limitations of language and measurement are evident within the Framework, and greater structural and cultural reform is required to increase representation and outcomes, particularly of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds. We canvass potential strategies required to achieve this reform, including refocussing on school achievement through need-based funding, curriculum reform, and university outreach; expanding enabling programs and alternative entry pathways; and increasing the understanding of diverse student backgrounds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • ABS. (2006). Socio-economic indexes for areas (SEIFA) – Technical paper. Canberra: ABS.

    Google Scholar 

  • ABS. (2011). Australian census of population and housing. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from ABS TableBuilder Pro. Canberra: ABS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aschaffenburg, K., & Mass, I. (1997). Cultural and educational careers: The dynamics of social reproduction. American Sociological Review, 62, 573–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australian Government. (2014). Higher education participation and partnerships program (HEPPP). Retrieved 31 Mar 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, S., & May, R. (2015). Ladders of opportunity: Postgraduate equity, professions and the academic workforce. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birrell, B., Calderon, A., Dobson, I. R., & Smith, F. T. (2000). Equity in access to higher education revisited. People and Place, 8, 50–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bletsas, A., & Michell, D. (2014). Classism on campus? Exploring and extending understandings of social class in the contemporary higher education debate. In H. Brook, D. Fergie, M. Maeorg, & D. Michell (Eds.), Universities in transition: Foregrounding social contexts of knowledge in the first year experience. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. (1977). Reproduction in education, society and culture. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H., & Scales, B. (2008). Review of Australian higher education. Canberra: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnheim, C., & Harvey, A. (2013). Regions. In G. Croucher, S. Marginson, A. Norton, & J. Wells (Eds.), The Dawkins revolution: 25 years on. Melbourne: Melbourne University Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnheim, C., & Harvey, A. (2015). Far from the studying crowd? Regional and remote students in higher education. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, B., & Ryan, C. (2003). Higher education financing and student access: A review of the literature. Canberrra: Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coelli, M. B. (2010). The forgotten second quartile: Parental income and youth post-secondary education enrolment in Australia. Research paper number 1107. Melbourne: Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education Employment and Training (DEET). (1990). A Fair Chance for All: National and institutional planning for equity in higher education. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Transforming Australia’s higher education system. Canberra: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobson, I., & Skuja, E. (2005). Secondary schooling, tertiary entry ranks and university performance. People and Place, 13(1), 52–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Engstrom, C., & Tinto, V. (2008). Access without support is not opportunity. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning., 40(1), 46–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gale, T., & Parker, S. (2013). Widening participation in Australian higher education. London: Higher Education Funding Council of England and the Office for Fair Access.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gale, T., Hattam, R., Parker, S., Comber, B., Bills, D., & Tranter, D. (2010). Interventions early in school as a means to improve higher education outcomes for disadvantaged (particularly low SES) students. Component B: A survey of the nature and extent of outreach activities conducted by Australian higher education (Table A) providers. Canberra: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J., Hampson, G., Wheeler, L., & Bereded-Samuel, E. (2010). From access to success: An integrated approach to quality higher education informed by social inclusion theory and practice. Higher Education Policy, 23(1), 123–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, T. (2014). Disadvantaged learners and VET to higher education transitions. Australian Government Department of Industry and National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Canberra.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harman, G. (2002). Producing PhD graduates in Australia for the knowledge economy. Higher Education Research & Development, 21(2), 179–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, A. (2014). Early and delayed offers to under-represented university students. Australian Journal of Education, 58(2), 167–181. doi:10.1177/0004944114523367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, A., & Andrewartha, L. (2013). Dr Who? Equity and diversity among university postgraduate and higher degree cohorts. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 35(2), 112–123. doi:10.1080/1360080X.2013.775921.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, A. & Burnheim, C. (2013, Autumn). Loosening old school ties: Understanding university achievement and attrition by school type’. Professional Voice, 9(2), 29–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, A., Burnheim, C., & Brett, M. (2015). Towards a fairer chance for all: Revising the Australian student equity framework. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heagney, M. (2010). Beyond Bradley: Equity for postgraduates. Paper presented at the AAIR Conference, Geelong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, B., Bedford, T., Hartley, J., Klinger, C., Murray, N., O’Rourke, J., & Schofield, N. (2013). Enabling retention: Processes and strategies for improving student retention in university-based enabling programs. Sydney: Office for Learning and Teaching.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homel, J., & Ryan, C. (2014). Educational outcomes: The impact of aspirations and the role of student background characteristics. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, R., Baldwin, G., Coates, H., Krause, K.-L., & McInnis, C. (2004). Analysis of equity groups in higher education 1991−2002. Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, D., & Norton, A. (2014). Review of the demand driven funding system: Final report. Canberra: Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiley, M., & Austin, A. (2008). Australian postgraduate research students still prefer to ‘stay at home’: Reasons and implications. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 30(4), 363–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linke, R. D., Oertel L. M., & Kelsey, N. J. M. (1988). Regional analysis of socio-economic trends in educational participation. Sociology monograph No.7. Canberra: Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lomax-Smith, J., Watson, L., & Webster, B. (2011). Higher education base funding review. Canberra: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2015). Higher education and inequality in Anglo-American societies. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S., Tytler, R., Freeman, B., & Roberts, K. (2013). Securing Australia’s future: STEM country comparisons. Melbourne: Australian council of Learned Academies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, J. (2011). Class dismissed. New York: Monthly Review Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, L. (2015). Framing the framework: The origins of A Fair Chance for All. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of a Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, Y. M., & Karmel, T. (2002). Expansion in higher education during the 1990’s: Effects on access and student quality. Canberra: Department of Education, Science, and Training.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mettler, S. (2014). Degrees of inequality: How the politics of higher education sabotaged the American dream. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, C., & Gale, T. (2007). Researching social inequalities in education: Towards a Bourdieuian methodology. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 20(4), 433–447. doi:10.1080/09518390601176523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norton, A. (2009). Why focus only on the lowest 25% of postcodes? [Blog post]. Retrieved July 8, 2015, from http://andrewnorton.info/2009/05/06/why-focus-only-on-the-lowest-25-of-postcodes/

  • Norton, A. (2010). Uni equity policy misses the target [Blog post]. Retrieved July 8, 2015, from http://andrewnorton.info/2010/09/15/uni-equity-policy-misses-the-target/

  • Norton, A. (2012). Graduate winners: Assessing the public and private benefits of higher education. Melbourne: Grattan Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, A. (2013). New data on the close link between SES and university attendance [Blog post]. Retrieved July 8, 2015, from http://andrewnorton.net.au/2013/09/24/new-data-on-the-close-link-between-ses-and-university-attendance/

  • Norton, A. (2015). Equity and markets. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nous Group. (2011). Schooling challenges and opportunities: A report for the review of funding for schooling panel. Melbourne: Melbourne Graduate School of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, N., Bexley, E., & James, R. (2011). Selection and participation in higher education: University selection in support of student success and diversity of participation. Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Power, C., Robertson, F., & Baker, M. (1986). Access to higher education: Participation, equity and policy. Canberra: Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser, B., McCallum, F., Milroy, P., Comber, B., & Nixon, H. (2008). “I am smart and I am not joking”: Aiming high in the middle years of schooling. The Australian Educational Researcher, 35(2), 15–35. doi:10.1007/BF03216881.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre. (2014). Special admissions schemes. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://www.qtac.edu.au/Applying/SASHome.html

  • Reid, A., & McCallum, F. (2014). ‘Becoming your best’: Student perspectives on community in the pursuit of aspirations. The Australian Educational Researcher, 41(2), 195–207. doi:10.1007/s13384-013-0133-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teese, R. (2006). Condemned to innovate. In J. Schultz (Ed.), Griffith review edition 11 – Getting smart: The battle for ideas in education. Queensland: Griffith University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Universities Admissions Centre. (2014). Educational Access Schemes (EAS). Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://www.uac.edu.au/eas/

  • Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre. (2014). Special consideration and Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS). Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://www.vtac.edu.au/who/seas

  • Vinson, T., Rawsthorne, M., Beavis, A., & Ericson, M. (2015). Dropping off the edge 2015: Persistent communal disadvantage in Australia. Richmond: Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, L., & Ryan, C. (2010). Choosers and losers: The impact of government subsidies on Australian secondary schools. Australian Journal of Education, 54(1), 86–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheelahan, L. (2009). What kind of access does VET provide to higher education for low SES students? Not a lot. Paper presented at the ‘Student Equity in Higher Education: What we know. What we need to know’. National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education Launch and Forum. University of South Australia, Adelaide, 25–26 February.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilks, J., & Wilson, K. (2012). Going on to uni? Access and participation in university for students from backgrounds of disadvantage. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(1), 79–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willems, J. (2010). The Equity Raw‐Score Matrix – A multi‐dimensional indicator of potential disadvantage in higher education. Higher Education Research and Development, 29(6), 603–621. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294361003592058.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, T., et al. (1987). Participation in education, ACER Research Monograph No. 30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community wealth. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Access and Achievement Research Unit, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Andrew Harvey & Lisa Andrewartha

  2. Office of the Vice-Provost (Education Programs), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Catherine Burnheim

Authors
  1. Andrew Harvey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa Andrewartha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Burnheim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew Harvey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Andrew Harvey

  2. Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Catherine Burnheim

  3. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Matthew Brett

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

Âİ 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Harvey, A., Andrewartha, L., Burnheim, C. (2016). Out of Reach? University for People from Low Socio-Economic Status Backgrounds. In: Harvey, A., Burnheim, C., Brett, M. (eds) Student Equity in Australian Higher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0315-8_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0315-8_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0313-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0315-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation