Top students
to get cheaper access to university as the coalition creates a
market for AAB grade
students
There will now be a fight amongst universities
for AAB grade students due to a government ruling that allows
universities to take on an unlimited number of AAB grade students.
Universities will be fighting to ‘buy’ the
UKs top talent with these students likely to be offered cheaper
places or other incentives to get them onboard with Sir Steven
Smith referring to them as ‘gold dust’. Such incentives have
already been put into place with both Kent and Essex universities
offering £2,000 courses to AAA students, De Montfort offering
students £1,000 a year and West London offering out 45 scholarships
that cut fees in half.
The problem is universities will fight over
these students not only because they are trying to enhance their
image but also because if they don’t they will not receive the same
funding as Sir Steven Smith comments; “The complication for
universities is if you don't recruit the same percentage of
students with AAB or better than you had last year what happens is
you lose the funding for those students”.
Whilst this would mean many will be better off
with much lower final fees for some graduates others have warned that this move
is in fact bad for universities with Gareth Thomas warning that
less resources could be allocated to try and help poorer students
get universities places and Sally Hunt general secretary of
University and College also not seeing the benefit of creating a
higher education market "I fail to see how moving from a system
where there is collaboration between institutions to one which
encourages cut-throat competition is in the interest of our
sector.”
The Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills however moved to allay some fears and commented that
universities that want to attract students from the lowest income
backgrounds will have to meet stricter criteria including
giving free places or bursaries for those students.
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