A landmark national pilot in England has revealed significant gaps between what students expect from higher education and the reality they encounter on arrival, with implications for how universities design transition support for increasingly diverse cohorts.
The Pre-arrival Academic Questionnaire (PAQ) national pilot wave 1 initial results 2025, published today (16 April) by Advance HE in collaboration with the University of East London and Jisc, draws on data gathered from incoming undergraduates across 15 diverse higher education institutions in England. The findings shed light on the learning histories, expectations, wellbeing concerns and financial pressures students carry with them as they enter higher education.
Among the headline findings:
- Uneven confidence on entry. Students arrive with highly varied levels of academic, social and practical confidence, shaped by their prior educational environment, qualification pathway and personal circumstances. Disabled students, carers, commuters and mature entrants report notably lower confidence on entry.
- Misaligned expectations. Many students expect high levels of structured contact and readily accessible feedback, assumptions rooted in school experience that do not always reflect contemporary HE models.
- Digital and AI readiness overstated. Assumptions about students' digital preparedness are challenged by the data, which show heavy reliance on traditional learning approaches and limited exposure to generative AI or sophisticated digital tools.
- Financial and wellbeing pressures arrive early. Nearly six in 10 students expect to work during their studies, yet many underestimate how common term-time employment actually is. Financial concerns and wellbeing worries are present well before students set foot on campus.
Dr Thandi Gilder, researcher at Advance HE, said: "These findings give us a detailed picture of what students bring with them when they arrive at university.
“Institutions may wish to consider how their transition support reflects the real diversity of students' starting points, rather than assumptions about a typical new undergraduate. Those participating in the pilot were able to respond in real time to the needs of their students by signposting to relevant services or information and giving feedback on the questionnaire data that allowed them to address any misaligned expectations.
“We are extremely grateful to Dr Michelle Morgan, whose vision and commitment over many years brought the Pre-arrival Academic Questionnaire into being. This national pilot would not have been possible without the expertise and commitment of our partners at Jisc, and in particular Dr Kathryn Heywood, Head of Business Intelligence Data Analytics, the University of East London, the members of the steering group chaired by Professor Sir Les Ebdon, as well as our engaged team of experts who make up our working group.
“We are also grateful to the Office for Students, whose funding through the Innovation Fund made this pilot possible."
Download the full report here