Widening Access in University Admissions

Abstract

Widening access to higher education remains a significant policy challenge. While meeting student intake targets in university admissions is notoriously difficult, additionally pursuing access targets makes universities’ decision problem even more complicated. We introduce a choice procedure, Access-First with Transfers (AFT), that meets the university’s access and intake targets to the extent possible with the most qualified applicants. The key element of this procedure is its systematic adjustment of targets in response to fluctuations in applicant numbers. We formulate a fairness concept for matchings that strikes a balance between widening access and merit-based allocation. We introduce the Flexible Access and Intake Targets mechanism, which incorporates AFT into a strategy-proof centralised admission system and finds the unique student-optimal fair matching.

Keywords: Widening access, university admissions, access-first with transfers, felixible access and intake targets.

JEL Classification: C70, D61, D63, I23, I24.