Universities
wanting to charge over £6,000 for their courses from 2012 will
have to work much harder to recruit students from disadvantaged
backgrounds under new guidelines published today.
In a final Guidance Letter sent to the Office of Fair Access
today Ministers asked its Director to be more challenging and
demanding of universities seeking to charge higher fees.
The Government also announced details of the national scholarship
programme that will provide students from disadvantaged
backgrounds help with the cost of attending university. Around
50,000 students a year could be awarded a scholarship from 2014.
Scholarships will be worth at least £3,000 for individual students
in tuition discounts and other benefits.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said:
“Universities can and should do more to ensure fair access. Today
we are setting out our expectations for the action needed to close
the gap between aspiration and achievement.
“Social mobility in this country has stalled. It will only
improve if we throw open the doors of universities, especially the
most selective, to more bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We must ensure that our great universities – often the gateway
to the professions – make active and measurable progress to widen
participation and advance social mobility.”
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“The Government has put a fair graduate contribution scheme in
place which will ensure anyone that has the ability can go to
university. We are asking universities to do more to ensure that
happens by working harder and investing more in attracting
students from disadvantaged and non-traditional backgrounds. As
part of the education system our universities have crucial part to
play in driving social mobility.
“Our new scholarship programme is designed to complement rather
than replace what universities are already doing. The programme
will remain flexible in its initial years to enable us to make
adjustments in the light of experience on campus.”
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said:
“We are focused on the outcomes we expect from universities
rather than dictating how they are to be achieved. The new system
will be flexible; respecting university autonomy and enabling
institutions to decide which measures to improve access suit their
particular circumstances and characteristics.
“The strengthened Guidance we have issued to the Director of Fair
Access will require universities to take much more determined
action on widening participation and report annually on the
progress they have achieved.”
In the Guidance Letter sent to the Director of Fair Access today
Ministers set out how he should make his assessment of access
agreements submitted by universities wishing to charge more than
£6,000. The strengthened guidance requires the Director to be more
challenging and demanding through the following measures:
universities will have to show real measurable progress against
benchmarks;they will also have to do more to reduce the number of
students who drop out;the Director will require more investment in
access measures from universities whose progress against agreed
benchmarks is not sufficient; and university Access Agreements
will be reviewed annually instead of the previous 5-year approval
cycle.
Notes to editors:
1. The Final Guidance Letter to the Director of Fair Access can
be read at http://www.bis.gov.uk/he-access-agreements
2. The National Scholarships will be a mandatory part of the new
Access Agreements. All institutions intending to charge over
£6,000 for their courses from 2012 will need to have an Access
Agreement approved by the Director of Fair Access. The level of
their additional investment in the programme will be approved by
the Director of Fair Access as part of the overall approach
proposed by the institution.
3. The national scholarship programme was developed with advice
from a Steering Group of experts from the sector. For further
details of the Steering Group see
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=416934&NewsAreaID=2
4. The scholarships will provide a package of benefits worth at
least £3,000 to eligible students. Each university will design its
own scholarship scheme from a menu of options recommended by the
Steering Group. It will offer real help for students with the
costs of study. Options include:
a fee waiver or discount;
a free foundation year leading to progression to a professional
career via a course with high entry requirements;
discounted accommodation or other similar institutional service;
and
a financial scholarship/bursary – capped as a cash award at
£1,000.
5. Students will be able to take make informed choices about
which course to study and where based on who offers the best
package for them. UCAS will also provide a portal on their website
linking to each institution’s scholarship scheme.
6. The Government will invest £50m in the national scholarship
programme in 2012/13 and will increase its contribution by £50m in
each of the following two years to reach £150m annually from
2014/15. Universities participating in the programme will
contribute match funding.
7. BIS' online newsroom contains the latest press
notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It
also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See
http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Lucy Bell
Phone: 020 7215 5361
Lucy.Bell@bis.gsi.gov.uk