Uni Connect

Uni Connect is being evaluated and monitored at a national level to assess how successfully the programme meets its aims.

We use this information to support our funding decisions and refine practice at a local level.

Local partnerships also evaluate their own activities, including longitudinal tracking of Uni Connect learners to evaluate the impact of particular interventions. 

Latest findings

For the latest phase of the programme we commissioned CFE to conduct an independent review of Uni Connect attainment-raising activity.

The review found that partnerships have identified local priorities and tailored interventions to address specific attainment-raising outcomes. 

The evidence base suggests that the interventions delivered have contributed to student outcomes with varying levels of success, but as attainment-raising is a relatively new priority area the strength of evidence remains limited. 

The future of collaborative outreach

In December 2024, we published our overall vision for the future of collaborative outreach, and the theory of change that underpins it.

You can read more about the theory of change, and how it builds on our thinking around regional collaboration, in a blog from John Blake, our Director for Fair Access and Participation.

Evaluation and research reports