Cosmos Engagement

We’re delighted to welcome University of Wolverhampton as a partner on the Hidden Drivers of Choice study.

With deep roots in its community, a highly diverse student population, and a strong focus on access, progression and outcomes, Wolverhampton demonstrates a clear commitment to understanding how lived experience shapes decisions about higher education.

A great partner to have, and we’re proud to have their support on this project.

We’re delighted to also welcome University of Hull as a partner on the Hidden Drivers of Choice study.

With a clear focus on addressing regional participation gaps and supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds, Hull brings an important commitment to understanding how place and lived experience shape decisions about higher education.

We’re proud to be working with them on this project.

We’re delighted to welcome Buckinghamshire New University as a partner on the Hidden Drivers of Choice study.

With a strong focus on career-focused education and supporting students from a wide range of backgrounds, BNU is committed to understanding how outcomes and lived experience influence decisions about higher education.

That’s why we’re proud to have them involved in the project.

Meet Miranda Arieh, our Specialist Trauma Consultant on the Hidden Drivers of Choice project.

For many students, the journey into higher education is shaped by more than grades or aspirations alone.

Significant experiences like bereavement, family responsibility, financial uncertainty, housing instability, and care experience do not sit separately from university choice. For many, they are central to it.

Miranda brings deep expertise, ensuring students feel heard and supported as they share their experiences. Trauma-informed practice sits at the heart of this project, both as a commitment to every participant and as the foundation for insight that reflects the reality of their decision-making.

We'll be hearing more from Miranda as the project develops. In the meantime:

Find out more about Miranda here: https://lnkd.in/etsZ6fzq
Explore the Hidden Drivers project: https://lnkd.in/e7ypKFKX

Introducing the Hidden Drivers of Choice National Study

We are proud to be working alongside three outstanding partner institutions:

University of Hull
Buckinghamshire New University
University of Wolverhampton

Together we are working to understand what underrepresented students really value when making decisions about higher education.

Each of these institutions is deeply committed to understanding and genuinely serving their students, with a shared belief that the more we understand about what underrepresented students actually need, the better higher education can become for everyone.

Full details of the project: https://cosmosltd.uk/hidden-drivers-of-choice-for-underrepresented-students/

Higher education is navigating a period of real change. Student demographics are shifting and the routes into university are more varied than ever.

But the experiences that shape whether a young person chooses to go, where they choose to go, and why, are also more complex than ever.

That is what 'Hidden Drivers of Choice' sets out to address. Our national study will uncover what underrepresented students really value when making decisions about their future.

Follow over the coming months as we introduce the study and insights as the research unfolds.