Ministers should introduce a UK-wide “student transition programme” to help prepare disadvantaged students for the higher education environment, a report recommends.

Students whose parents did not attend university or those who received free school meals are more likely to feel “like an impostor at university”, says the – the UK’s largest university access charity – on 2 October.

Such students, the paper reports, say they would have benefited from small-group peer mentoring to build study skills and develop a sense of “community and belonging”.

The report, which surveyed 161 students – 61 per cent of whom had no parental history of higher education – found that those who had received free school meals in school (23 per cent of respondents) were less likely to say they know how to study than students who had not been on free school meals in school (56 per cent versus 69 per cent of respondents). They were also less likely to say they were keeping up with their peers (47 per cent versus 55 per cent).

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The report finds that disadvantaged students felt underprepared for university and unsupported on arrival, saying they would have benefited from guidance on skills, including study skills and note-taking. Students noted that study support did not exist or was difficult to access, and they often did not receive a quick response if they did reach out.

The report further recommends that universities work better with schools and third-sector providers to ensure that learners are supported throughout the student life cycle.

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“Strong links between these sectors will ensure that young people have access to support at different stages of their journey, and that they are already preparing for university life and study whilst in school, have support with academic confidence and skills during the school-university transition, and are developing the social/cultural capital needed to thrive in employment during their degree,” it says.

The impact of the cost of living was prominent throughout the report, with 52 per cent of students who completed the survey saying they had at one point struggled financially during their studies, and 15 per cent saying they had considered dropping out of their course for financial reasons.

Students from less advantaged backgrounds were also less likely to have undertaken internships because of a need to engage in paid work instead, and the report suggests that universities should provide networking and professional development opportunities for students from less advantaged backgrounds.

Nandipha Mundeta, a Brilliant Club ambassador and second-year student at the University of Bristol, said: “For under-represented groups, higher education is often depicted as an equaliser, where access will pave the way for improved life trajectories. Yet as this research highlights, it can feel like the beginning of a new uphill battle, laden with socio-economic challenges, academic pressures and financial stress.”

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juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com