Access and Expansion Post-Massification: Opportunities and Barriers to Further Growth in Higher Education Participation

The 21 st century has the potential to be the era of universal higher education access: the post-massification century. The growth of knowledge-based service industries and an increased need for technological and social innovations require more education, training, and re-training at the post-secondary level. This edited collection addresses the crucial issues emerging from this ongoing expansion of higher education, focusing on how national systems of higher education can respond to demands for further expansion when traditional routes to higher education have been largely exhausted:Does it make a difference how secondary education systems are organized?Can we encourage underrepresented groups to participate in higher education, offering them new ways of experiencing higher education without sacrificing quality?What role will new suppliers of higher education, such as private providers, play?Are there innovative ways to manage the finances of universal access, including tuition fees and student loans?Will all social groups benefit equally from expansion, and find the institution and program that fits their needs?Experienced researchers offer insights, national strategies, and policy examples from around the world, giving researchers and policymakers the tools to expand higher education into the era of the knowledge society. Expansion will require different modes of delivery, new system models, revised qualification structures, changes to the role played by government, and a revision of the public-private finance mix. While this may lead to tensions in terms of the quality, efficiency or equality of opportunity in the higher education system, there are also new opportunities for students and higher education institutions.