This final chapter explores the main implications of our research for policy and practice at institutional, regional and national levels in European higher education. This is a highly topical issue at present, as the Bologna process now requires universities and national policy bodies to addƌess the social dimension of the European Area of Higher Education. Our study has therefore come at a timely point in an emerging, and possibly highly contentious, European debate. To date, much of the debate in higher education has been inward-looking, with little evidence of deep-rooted change as a result. We argue that policy and practice will have a better chance of working if we listen to non-traditional students, as well as paying attention to the expectations and aspirations of those who work in the sector, and the wider expectations of society. The chapter identifies a number of areas and issues that inhibit the participation and achievement of non-traditional students, as well as exploring evidence of practices and approaches that promote them. Concrete proposals will then be outlined using the voices of students from this evidence based research. Wider access to higher education, and improved rates of completion, are widely shared policy goals. A rapidly changing economy, and the process of population ageing, mean that wider access and improved completion are priorities for many European nations, and for international bodies such as the EU and OECD. The European Commissions ageŶda foƌ modernising higher education in Europe, just to consider one example, urges member states to work with higher education institutions (HEIs) to increase overall participation rates, attƌaĐt a ďƌoadeƌ Đƌoss-seĐtioŶ of soĐietLJ iŶ HE, and increase efforts to minimise drop-out rates. In particular, it encouraged member states and HEIs to improve progression through such measures as clear qualifications frameworks, eŶĐouƌage outƌeaĐh to school students from uŶdeƌƌepƌeseŶted gƌoups aŶd to non-traditional learners, including adults, and Citation information: John Field and Ewa Kurantowicz, Retention and Access in Higher Education: Implications for Policy, F. Finnegan, B. Merrill and C. Thunborg (eds.), Student Voices on Inequalities in European Higher Education: Challenges for Theory, Policy and Practice in a Time of Change Routledge, Abingdon, 2014, pp. 163-68