Whilst the reputation for excellence in undergraduate studies at University of Bath grows nationally and internationally, its ability to recruit students from low-income families remains stubbornly difficult to improve. And this is despite significant time and financial investment made by the university. The argument that is often presented when trying to understand what is happening is that Bath is an expensive city. That is certainly true but so are other places that are currently making more progress in recruiting from this target cohort. One consideration that has received little air time recently here in Bath, is to explore the potential to recruit students to the University of Bath that live within commuting distance of the campus. Commuter students are not common here; but they are elsewhere. And one of the biggest challenges for Bath is that apart from heading west to the Bristol area, the region is essentially rural and with limited good public transport. So before embarking on any marketing or promotional campaigns, this project seeks to understand the following baseline questions:

What is the actual potential to recruit students to University of Bath from low-income families within the region? And what would a successful programme of recruitment look like? Could it involve commuter students? Or is there a mechanism to support suitable students from the region to move to Bath for their undergraduate studies?

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs: 4 Quality Education, 8 Decent Working and Econominc Growth, 10 Reduced Inequalities, 17 Partnerships

Academic Directors

Professor Jane White, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Professor Matt Dickson, Institute for Policy Research

Who Can Apply?

This VIP welcomes applications from all University of Bath students.

Applications for Semester 1 AY2526 will open in June 2025.

Project Updates

TBC