Contextual offers

I’m eligible for contextual offers but I don’t get the way they work. How does your parents not going to uni give you a disadvantage and vice versa? The only one I get fully is the household income. Someone could be facing really bad mental health while being in a comfortable family but someone else could have everyone supporting them in a poor family? I just don’t think it’s the fairest way to decide who gets lower grade requirements

Reply 1

username7212213

See I used to feel like this but as a first gen scholar i have witnessed differences at uni between myself and those whose parents did go to uni, in terms of parents helping out more with job and/or uni applications, having better connections (sometimes providing big work experience opportunities), navigating uni themselves first so being able to provide more advice etc. However I also understand that this factor doesn’t affect people as much as say household income or other things do, and my parents are luckily very supportive and provide advice as best they can.

Reply 2

username7212213

It’s also about trying to increase participation from those groups, for example at my uni only 20% of people’s parents didn’t go to uni so offering contextuals helps bridge the gap a bit

Reply 3

McGinger

Each Uni uses different criteria, and usually those asking about parents attending Uni will require at least another criteria to be met. Its all about targeting the sort of students who would otherwise be less likely to attend a top Uni, typically for socio-economic reasons, which is what these criteria are try to identify. Those who come from a family where there is no 'example' of someone going to Uni are less likely tp go themselves, and usually have a lower household income.