Loughborough University: Loughborough supports new campaign to encourage parents and young people to consider Higher Education

The project aims to debunk common myths and answer questions surrounding Higher Education, using real quotes and voices from parents and carers. The campaign is being delivered by Pathways, a collaborative partnership funded by the Office for Students as part of the UniConnect Programme.

Nationally only 18% of all graduates are the first in their family to complete a higher education course and Pathways hopes to change this.

Mark Clayton, 60, is father to two sons who have now completed their university studies and is a parent ambassador for the campaign. He said: “I was extremely lucky because I worked for a time at a university before my two sons started in Higher Education, so knew how student finance worked. However, many parents don’t and it can be scary.

“That is one of the reasons I wanted to become a parent ambassador to break down the myths and make sure all parents know exactly how student finance works so they can help their children make decisions based on fact.

“Another big worry for us as parents was whether our sons would make friends and fit in with others. Trust me, that worry is soon replaced by whether they have enough time with all their socialising to do the work needed to get a degree!”