Abstract:
This presentation summarizes the findings of a two-year research project looking at first in family (FiF) university students and graduates in England. First in family students are those whose parents do not have a university degree. The (potential) FiF are less likely to go to university than those whose parents are graduates. Thus, the FiF is one of the target groups of the Widening Participation policy that aims to increase the university participation rates of disadvantaged groups. The first part of the presentation shows descriptive statistics on how the FiF differ from their peers. Second, I show evidence that compared to other measures of disadvantage, being FiF is the most important barrier to university participation and graduation. Third, I investigate the early labour market outcomes of FiF and non-FiF university graduates and show that women suffer a FiF wage penalty but men do not. Lastly, I talk about some future research plans investigating the FiF and educational mobility in Hungary.