Working class groups have historically been excluded from participation in higher education. Though there has been an expansion of the system towards a more inclusive higher education, participation among people from working class groups has remained persistently low. Despite the expansion of higher education, people from the lower social classes and from ethnic minorities are not going into higher education in sufficient numbers. This text discusses the reasons for this exclusion, and examines the many factors and reasons why working class groups are under-represented in higher education. In particular, the book addresses issues around differential access to information about university, the value of higher education to working class groups, the costs of participating and the propensity to participate. Issues of gender and ethnicity are also explored and questions are raised for those who are currently involved in "widening participation" projects and initiatives. A unique feature of the book is that its findings are drawn from a study where the views of both working class participants and non-participants in higher education were explored. This book should be of interest to students of social policy, educational studies and sociology of education at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Academics, researchers and policy makers nationally and internationally will also find it valuable.