The Federal Government's Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP)aims to ensure that Australians from low Socio-Economic-Status (SES) backgrounds, Regional, Rural or Remote areas (RRR) or those who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander have equitable opportunity to study at university if they choose to do so. The Federal Government provides funding to assist universities to undertake activities and implement strategies that improve access to undergraduate courses for people from under represented backgrounds, as well as improving the retention and completion rates of those students.
HEPPP at UOW
HEPPP at UOW
UOW has developed an Enabling Framework for Student Equity 2021-2024 (PDF) that has been provided to the Federal Government to detail how HEPPP will be implemented at UOW.
UOW is committed to ensuring the access and success of students from diverse backgrounds at our institution and that is why from 2018 to 2020, UOW has developed a refined approach to the implementation of HEPPP. The approach for the next three years will include:
Student equity program fund
Long term strategic programs to reach UOW’s goal of greater than 21% of the domestic undergraduate cohort consisting of students from low SES backgrounds. These programs include:
- Outreach (pre-access) programs: These programs provide a whole of institution approach to pre-access (outreach) activities to schools and communities within UOW’s geographical footprint;
- Access programs: Contextualised access initiatives and pathways programs for school leavers and non-school leavers;
- The Transition & Retention Project: Scaling up existing successful transition and retention activities to add value to the existing support mechanisms in place at UOW. This is underpinning by the Achieving Purposeful Transitions Framework (PDF).
- Equity scholarships: Development and ongoing implementation of a best practice model for the dissemination of equity scholarships that meet best practice and improve student retention;
- UOW’s Re-Engagement Strategy: The development and embedding of a re-engagement strategy that supports the re-entry of equity students who have exited from the institution;
- Completion & Transition Out: Design and implement programs that increase student accessibility to opportunities that will increase their employment beyond University.
More information
UOW Enabling Framework for Student Equity 2021-2024
Download UOW Enabling Framework for Student Equity document (PDF)