Nottingham Trent: Widening access

One of the aims is to demystify university for children with no family experience of what is involved.

It has found that one of the best ways to do this is to pay its own students to go into the schools and talk to children from the first year upwards.

This can involve very basic information.

"They really do think it's like school," said Sarah Morrish.

Michael McDowell: Dispelling myths

She and some fellow students have just been talking to 11 year olds at Manning Comprehensive School, a girls' school in Nottingham with no great record of academic achievement.

"They thought there were 12 subjects, like school," she said.

"They think you've got to be rich and you've got to be posh to go there," said student Michael McDowell.

"So that's the main thing, we can dispel those myths that they hold."

Sarah said the people she knew at university all seemed to be from middle-class backgrounds.

Sarah Morrish: Explained choices

She sees it as important to go into schools to try to quash the idea that it has to be that way.

Their efforts seem to have paid off for Annegelina.

"I wasn't going to go but it's changed my mind," she said.

Her classmate Anne-Marie had regarded herself as university material, and the students' visit had reinforced that.

"It's made my mind a bit more enthusiastic to go because of all the subjects that you can choose from," she said.