University enrolment: 18-percentage-point gap between students with graduate parents and those without. A new national alliance beetwen the University
The five higher education institutions belonging to the MERITA network and Bocconi University signed an agreement to expand the MeMo project and make university guidance a tool for equity and social mobility. “We are opening a new phase in which we are turning the experience gained so far into a stable, nationwide model,” said Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini.
One year after completing secondary school, 84% of students with at least one university-educated parent are enrolled at university, compared with 66% of students from families in which neither parent holds a university degree. This 18-percentage-point gap shows the extent to which family background continues to shape educational opportunities and university choices.
To help narrow this gap, the five higher education institutions of the MERITA network, namely the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Scuola Normale Superiore, Collegio Superiore of the University of Bologna, Galilean School of Higher Education of the University of Padua and School for Advanced Studies of Sapienza University of Rome, have signed a new agreement with Bocconi University. The aim is to ensure the continuity of MeMo – Merit and Social Mobility and extend its reach. MeMo is a university guidance programme for students whose parents do not hold university degrees.
The agreement was formalised during the conference marking the closing day of MERITA, held this morning at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. Its founding principles are those enshrined in Article 34 of the Italian Constitution, according to which “capable and deserving pupils, including those lacking financial resources, have the right to attain the highest levels of education”. The resources in question are not only financial. Information, networks, role models and familiarity with the university environment can have a profound impact on a young person’s ability to see university as a genuinely accessible option.
“True access to education means giving everyone the opportunity to become the best version of themselves, regardless of their economic circumstances. Today, we are not simply bringing to a close a project that has involved more than 4,000 students and enabled us to build a network capable of making educational excellence more accessible. We are opening a new phase for MeMo, transforming the experience gained so far into a stable, nationwide model,” said Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research.
The issue of first-generation students, the first in their families to attend university, was the focus of a presentation by Marco Romito, Associate Professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, who explored the influence of family background, resources and expectations on university choices. Being a first-generation student also often intersects with a migrant background: according to AlmaLaurea, only 23% of second-generation graduates have at least one university-educated parent.
From merit to opportunity: a discussion between Sabina Nuti and Marta Cartabia
During the conference, the book ‘Merito e mobilità sociale. L’orientamento come leva di equità’ [‘Merit and Social Mobility. University Guidance as a Lever for Equity’] (Pacini Editore) was presented. The volume is edited by Professor Sabina Nuti and Sara Barsanti, coordinator of the MERITA project.
The book retraces and analyses the MeMo experience, the programme launched by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in 2013 for students whose parents do not hold university degrees. The model goes beyond an approach to university guidance limited to presenting degree programmes: it involves identifying potential participants through schools, providing long-term support, offering peer mentoring and creating immersive opportunities for students to experience university life first-hand.
The themes and evidence presented in the book provided the starting point for a discussion between Sabina Nuti and Professor Marta Cartabia, Vice Rector for Social Engagement and Institutional Affairs at Bocconi University, on the contemporary meaning of merit and social mobility and on the role of universities.
The data presented in the book show that, one year after completing secondary school, 90.2% of those who had participated in MeMo were enrolled at university, while a further 4.5% were preparing to enrol. Overall, among respondents, approximately 95 out of every 100 participants chose to continue their education. In addition, 97% believe that the programme contributed to their personal growth, while more than 95% rated their relationship with their mentors positively.
The discussion also addressed the influence of students’ starting conditions and the contemporary significance of Article 34 of the Italian Constitution, considering the “resources” that can determine which opportunities are genuinely accessible, including information, networks, role models and familiarity with the university environment. For many prospective first-generation students, in fact, the first obstacle is not passing a selection process, but being able to imagine that the selection process, the university and the opportunities it offers could actually be within their reach, as reflected in the experiences of project participants.
“Article 34 of the Constitution is not simply a principle to invoke, but a responsibility to put into practice,” emphasised Marta Cartabia. “This is why universities must reach out to students even before they come knocking at their doors: in schools, local communities, families and all the places where aspirations, expectations and motivation take shape. MeMo is a project shared by several higher education institutions that is moving precisely in this direction.”
MeMo becomes a network: new agreement signed
The day concluded with the signing of the new MeMo agreement, ensuring the programme’s continuity and marking the beginning of a new phase. The agreement aims to consolidate the model beyond NRRP funding and expand its reach while maintaining its defining features: a focus on first-generation students, cooperation with schools, sustained support over time, peer mentoring provided by university students, and first-hand experience of university life.
This new phase therefore presents a clear challenge: to scale up an initiative for which positive evidence of impact has emerged while preserving its relational and personalised approach, so that it can reach more young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities to turn their potential into the choice to pursue a university education.
The closing discussion featured Nicola Vitiello, Rector of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies; Alessandro Schiesaro, Director of the Scuola Normale Superiore; Mattia Crespi, Director of the School for Advanced Studies at Sapienza University of Rome; Gianguido Dall’Agata, Director of the Galilean School of Higher Education at the University of Padua; and Stefania Pellegrini, Director of the Collegio Superiore at the University of Bologna. They were joined by MeMo mentors, who contributed the perspective of those who work directly with students throughout the programme
