ABSTRACT
In the years before and after the Pilot Scheme the Open University has admitted students aged under twenty-one on a very limited basis. It might have been hypothesised that those younger students who could not attend a full-time course would fare better than the other younger students because the Open University provided the only real opportunity for higher education that was open to them. On the other hand it could be argued that those circumstances which prevented full-time attendance would tend to place them at a disadvantage in the Open University situation. While the results presented in this chapter suggest that the OU can do more to help younger people they also help to illuminate ways in which other degree awarding institutions can be made more ‘open’. These would include more part-time courses, creches, alterations in the grant system and adequate facilities for disabled people.
