Breaking down the barriers to university entry with a smile
When Brixton teenager Lula Powell set her sights on studying law she feared it would be an uphill struggle. The grade requirements were sky-high, and she didn’t know any lawyers.
“I just didn’t have that network to get help,” said the 18-year-old. “Law specifically felt like a bit like a gentlemen’s club. People from certain backgrounds can build connections and get work experience and advice. I was worried that to apply to top universities, I needed to make a very competitive application. Good grade predictions are not enough because everyone has good grades.”
Luckily, the teenager remembered reading about a scheme for university hopefuls run by the Sutton Trust education charity. The Pathways programme, in partnerships with leading universities across the country, helped more than 1,250 students secure degree places last year. Eligibility criteria is based on attainment and socio-economic markers, such as attending a state school, being on free school meals, first in the family to go to university or living in a postcode where few people attend higher education.
Lula applied to
