WIREDGOV

Ensuring higher education is open to all

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 10 February 2011

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