IntoUniversity and Impetus

IntoUniversity supports young people facing disadvantage to get into university through an early intervention, long-term programme of holistic support including tutoring, mentoring and aspiration-raising programmes – alongside practical guidance on the university application process.

Their mission is closely aligned with Impetus’ vision for a society where all young people – regardless of background – can thrive in school, secure crucial qualifications, and take their first steps into work for a fulfilling life.

The importance of higher education is clear. Our research shows that every step up the qualifications ladder halves young people’s chances of being not in education, employment or training (NEET). Evidence shows that at age 30, state-educated women from the poorest 20% of families, who went to university experienced a 31% increase in earnings.

As well as increased earning potential, higher education qualifications also lead to lower unemployment rates, increased life satisfaction, and better outcomes for future generations.

We are proud to have partnered with IntoUniversity to help them shape and deliver their programme, which is transforming young people’s lives, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Over the 17 years of our partnership, IntoUniversity have scaled nationally, expanding their reach from supporting 850 young people to a network of 44 centres serving more than 60,000 young people each year. Their growth has been transformational with their income increasing from £200k to £14.3m since entering our portfolio in late 2007.

Through this growth, IntoUniversity has retained its impact, with 58% of their students progressing into higher education, compared with 29% from similar backgrounds nationally. As a result, they are graduating from our portfolio this year after delivering a strong track record of meaningful impact across England and Scotland.

Our work together in numbers 

Since 2007, Impetus has provided IntoUniversity with a total of £2.7m in direct grants and over £750k in pro bono support. 

Through the expertise of our dedicated Investment team, we have supported IntoUniversity with strategic planning, capacity building, and with the implementation and scaling of their impact-led programmes.

Donor and pro bono partnerships  

Our work is made possible by our committed donors, whose partnerships with Impetus and our portfolio partners enable meaningful, long-term impact. Their generous support allows us to provide our portfolio organisations with core, unrestricted funding and strategic guidance through our pro bono network.   

During our partnership with IntoUniversity, we’ve worked with organisations including CVC Capital Partners and OC&C to provide pro bono support on areas such as:  

• HR
• Legal
• Strategy
• Impact