In this brief article, the author talks about what--other than money--works to widen higher education (HE) participation for adult learners. He also discusses the problems in trying to discover what works to widen participation for adults. One problem is that the decision to participate in any formal learning episode, including HE, is not a simple one-off event for many people. It is the product of their background, their previous experiences at school and since, the influence of their peers, and their view of what is appropriate for someone like themselves. The second problem is the quality of much of the research in the area. There is an urgent need for high-quality evidence of what works to widen participation, particularly to consider the impact of pre-entry interventions with adults. In order to demonstrate impact it is important that the evaluation is conducted independently of the widening participation programme. It is equally important that the evaluation is set up from the outset with clear objectives and pre-specified success/failure criteria. Putting money and energy into a new programme of any kind must, inevitably, have an impact of some kind.