Equal grades do not necessarily mean equal opportunities. From July 6 to 8, 2026, Prof. Nikki Shure, Ph.D. (University College London) visited LIfBi to discuss the specific disadvantages faced by "First-in-Family" (FiF) students. Her central finding: Social origin shapes educational and career trajectories even where merit should theoretically open every door.
In her LIfBi Lecture on July 7, titled "First in Family University Students: Inequality on the Pathway to Higher Education and the Labour Market", Nikki Shure presented compelling research findings. While her data from England show that students without an academic background are more likely to drop out and less likely to attend elite universities (such as the Russell Group), she focused her analysis of Germany on scholarship recipients of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes). Even among this group of exceptionally high-achieving students (the top 1%), social origin acts as a limitation—a so-called "class ceiling"—despite equivalent academic performance.
Compared to students from academic households, those whose parents did not attend university choose less prestigious institutions and fields of study with lower returns—such as education instead of medicine or law—despite their outstanding achievements. Their focus often lies on job security rather than maximizing income, a trend that persists through their early labour market outcomes. Nikki Shure clearly demonstrated that educational equity requires far more than just fostering individual performance, as secondary effects and unequal access to cultural and social capital remain decisive.
The three-day visit was characterized by intense scientific exchange. In working sessions with LIfBi researchers, topics such as the non-monetary returns to education, skill mismatch, the awarding of scholarships, as well as educational aspirations and transitions into vocational education and training (VET) were discussed.
The stay was rounded off by the London-based researcher's participation in LIfBi's annual company outing to Kulmbach, which provided an opportunity for informal networking and cultural exchange in the Upper Franconian region.