Students from Socio-Economically and Educationally Disadvantaged Backgrounds

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Definition

Students from socio-economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds are those whose circumstances have limited their access to educational opportunities and outcomes.

The Gateway Equity Target is UNSWs commitment that by 2027, students from low socio-economic status and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds will make up 25% of the commencing domestic undergraduate cohort.

Two groups of students make up the Gateway Equity cohort:

Students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds: Students who live in low-socioeconomic areas (SA1 codes) defined by the ABS SEIFA IEO
Students who attended educationally disadvantages schools (Gateway schools): Gateway schools are NSW high schools with an average three year ICSEA of 1000 or less or an average proportion of students in the bottom SEA quartile of 25% or more.

These students may also experience compounding disadvantage when intersecting with other equity cohorts such as:

First in family to attend university
Regional, rural or remote residence
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity
Refugee or humanitarian background
Non-English speaking backgrounds

To learn more about the Gateway Equity cohort, complete the Moodle modules linked here.

In the Australian context, ‘first-in-family’ has been variously defined, but most definitions refer to parental education levels. To differentiate from the general term first generation student, first-in-family is defined as: no-one in the immediate family of origin, including siblings or parents, having previously attended a higher education institution or having completed a university degree (O'Shea, et. al., 2023).

Below are opportunities for students from low SES backgrounds.

If you are looking for information, training or research, please use our inclusive resource database linked here.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any link recommendations.

UNSW Ambassador Program

Students from underrepresented cohorts can become a university ambassador and help influence educational outcomes and increase access to UNSW for students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

Faculty-Based Initiatives

There are many faculty-based initiatives available to support students from a low SES background. Contact your faculty EDI or Gateway representative for more details.

References

Hibbert, L., Osborne-Crowley, K. & Warren, M. (2023) Student Support Working Group- Summary of Existing Insights into the Gateway Equity Cohort. [Governance Document, University of New South Wales]. University of New South Wales, Equity Diversity and Inclusion.

O’Shea, Sarah., May, J., Stone, Cathy., & Delahunty, Janine. (2023). First-In-Family Students, University Experience and Family Life : Motivations, Transitions and Participation. (Second edition.). Springer International Publishing AG.