Abstract
The balance between the cost and value of access programmes is a concern in higher
education. The function of access programmes is to provide support and additional time for
under-prepared students to cope with the academic workload during the first year. This
article aims to indicate the value students place on participation in an access programme.
In this qualitative study, group interviews were conducted and the findings indicate that
Engineering students attribute their success in the mainstream to the way in which
participation in an access programme had integrated them academically into the university
and exposed them to discipline related experiences in a non-threatening environment. The
findings of this study indicate what aspects of the access programme students considered
helpful for perseverance in mainstream studies. It is recommended that institutions that offer
access programmes should not only be aware of the reciprocal influence of the cognitive
and non-cognitive factors that affect students’ success, but also purposefully combine these
factors in the design of their access programmes.