Almost 10,000 pupils living in deprived areas will receive letters from students encouraging them to consider going to university.
Students at King’s College London with similar upbringings will write to disadvantaged teenagers to share their stories and challenge perceptions that university is only for the privileged, the Department for Education (DfE) has announced.
The letters will target at least 9,200 high-achieving pupils aged 16 to 18 at schools and colleges with the lowest progression rates to university.
The progression rate to higher education for disadvantaged pupils in the latest data was 31.2%, compared with more than half (50.5%) of non-disadvantaged pupils.
The postcode gap is even bigger, with teenagers in Redbridge being almost three times more likely to progress to higher education than those growing up in Knowsley in Merseyside, the DfE said.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Talent, aspiration and hard work – not postcode or background – should decide a young person’s future.
“Universities need to do more to make sure they’re reaching the most talented people in our country wherever they come from – youngsters who need a bit of encouragement to see that a degree isn’t only for a privileged few.
“I’m proud that we’ve been able to support this brilliant initiative – which comes ahead of further steps from Government to break the link between young people’s background and success through our Post-16 and Skills White Paper.”
The number of pupils targeted in the end may be more than 9,200 as more letters go out.
A previous similar initiative found that a young person receiving two letters from university students significantly increased the chance of them applying to a Russell Group University, though there was no significant effect on their likelihood of applying to university overall.
Michael Sanders, professor of public policy at King’s College London, said the university’s research has found timely contact with a relatable role model can have a big impact on young people.
Kemi Adeyemi, a letter writer from King’s College London, said: “It’s so important that young people know that their background doesn’t determine where they can study.
“It should be based purely on you, your grades and your choice alone, which I feel isn’t a message reiterated enough to pupils in state schools.
“As a result of the letters I hope students feel empowered to apply for university and that they know they deserve to be there just like anyone else.”
