After losing all funding in austerity measures, Aimhigher fights on
Speaking to Times Higher Education, National Union of Students (NUS) President Wes Streeting declared the decision to axe the funds as "absurd", citing the "strong, collaborative networks and an army of practitioners with knowledge, skills and experience that are desperately needed" among Aimhigher's core strengths.
Aimhigher have already scaled back their operation in terms of workforce and remit. Josie Hurd, the partnership's mentoring coordinator, stated that "I have schools which have the funding to take part, but others just can't get the funds."
"Schools have asked us to focus on the pre-16 (age group) to develop a pool of potential applicants."
These cuts come at a time when many Russell Group universities have been criticised for not meeting their Access targets.
In Greater London, regional-specific groups such as AccessHE have formed to provide a localised focus to university outreach, whereas a partnership created by four HE institutions in Birmingham sees 100 undergraduate mentors go into high schools to foster links with 500 pupils aged 14 and 15, though this is a downfall of 50% on the figures of 2009/10.
