DONNELLY, Alan (2021). Evaluating the impact of higher education funding aimed to address student hardship: Survey findings. [STEER Evaluation Collection]

Preview	PDF Donnelly_2021_evaluating_the_higher_education_funding.pdf - Published Version Creative Commons Attribution. Download (425kB) | Preview
	Microsoft Excel Donnelly__shura_30729_Appendix 1 and 2 - Financial support evaluation survey results.xlsx - Supplemental Material Creative Commons Attribution. Download (17MB)
Preview	PDF Donnelly_2021_shura30729_Appendix 3 - Adapted financial support evaluation survey.pdf - Supplemental Material Creative Commons Attribution. Download (87kB) | Preview

Abstract

This report explores the findings of an evaluation conducted at Sheffield Hallam University to understand the impact of institutional financial support provided to students who are under-represented in higher education or who are facing hardship. This evaluation implemented the validated financial support evaluation toolkit, which is recommended by the Office for Students, as the framework for this data collection and analysis (McCaig et al., 2016). The survey tool, which was used in this current phase of the evaluation, contains closed and open-ended questions that explore what the funding has enabled its recipients to do and what might have not been possible otherwise. A total of 5,302 students received financial support from the University in 2020/21 and 347 of these responded to the survey, which is a response rate of 7%. The survey findings highlighted how respondents used other financial sources, aside from the hardship funding, to pay for their higher education, such as loans, overdrafts, earnings from work and money from friends or family. Without the financial support, its recipients reported that they would not only find it difficult to access the essential provisions of teaching and learning but also to be able to pay for basic living costs. Other key benefits reported by respondents were that the financial support enabled them to: concentrate on their university work, with the money helping many to pay for devices and IT equipment: continue with their studies; ease their anxieties and support their mental health. However, it is important to note that the low response rate limits the generalisations that can be made from the survey respondents to the wider population.

Item Type:	STEER Evaluation Collection
Type of evaluation evidence:	Empirical: Evidence has been collected which reports that there have been changes in outcomes for those receiving an intervention.
Stage of the Student Lifecycle:	Stage of the Student Lifecycle Success (e.g. retention and attainment)
Departments, Directorates and Groups:	Groups and Services > Student Experience, Teaching and Learning Groups and Services > Student and Academic Services
Uncontrolled Keywords:	financial support, financial aid, hardship, survey, impact, evaluation
Depositing User:	Helen Garner
Date Deposited:	20 Sep 2022 09:52
Last Modified:	20 Sep 2022 09:52
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30729

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads

Publication Metrics