BU Research Blog

Sunday 

Fees/David Willetts interview in Sunday Times

OXFORD and Cambridge universities could be allowed to increase fees to as much as £16,000 a year under plans being considered for the Tory manifesto, David Willetts, the former higher education minister has revealed. The piece concludes that although Willetts said he would like Oxford and Cambridge to “admit students from a wider range of backgrounds and schools”, critics fear that a rise in fees will further deter poor students from applying to England’s top two universities.

Students face £16,000 fees for Oxbridge (The Sunday Times)

Monday 

Value of degrees

Having a degree means you are now likely to earn £500,000 more during your working life compared with someone who did not go to university. Degrees in engineering, computer science and maths deliver the best average salaries, ranging from £40,000 to £45,000.

The value of a degree? £500,000 over your career (The Daily Telegraph)

Tuesday 

Progression

Interesting feature on The Brilliant Club and how it’s helping young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, to aim higher when they think about university. Daisy Hooper,  policy and projects manager at University Alliance spoke at the Brilliant Club conference in late July to push the position that social mobility is about progression (i.e. universities and students should be focusing on what would give them the best experiences and skills for their future careers.)

Three years ago they were studying tourism: now it’s James Joyce (The Times) 

Wednesday

A-levels

There was some coverage over a Which? University poll which found that more than half of students (54%) have said they have not thought about what they will do if they fail to gain the marks needed for their first or second choice university.  The Mail also ran a piece on how rising numbers of schools are abandoning A-levels in favour of alternative qualifications amid anger at constant ‘meddling’ with the exam system.

University admissions: students ‘failing to make back-up plan’ (Telegraph)

Students ‘not prepared’ for results day (Times Higher Education)

How schools are ignoring the tougher new A-levels: Number taking alternatives on the rise amid anger at ‘meddling’ with exams (Mail Online)

Thursday

Student cap

The Russell Group of leading universities has called on the government to drop plans for a free-for-all in undergraduate recruitment next year, following publication of a report from HEPI on the experience of Australia that suggests the policy could have disastrous financial consequences. 

The piece includes a quote from University Alliance’s Chair Professor Steve West. Professor Steve West, chair of the University Alliance group of newer universities, said Australia’s example was “incredibly important” for England.

“We need to set out a longer-term plan for solving the problem and creating a sustainable higher education system,” 

“The UK needs to ensure it is able to grow the graduate population, as our global competitors continue to do, and to encourage talent from right across society.”

Top universities urge scrapping of free-for-all student recruitment plan  (The Guardian)

A levels

A report from UUK concludes that universities will struggle to fill their places because teenagers are increasingly choosing vocational courses instead of traditional A-levels.  The Telegraph reports that rising numbers of students are missing out on uni places after failing to achieve the top A-level grades. 

Universities struggle to fill courses: Falling A-Level grades and shift away from traditional exams mean thousands of places will not be filled (Daily Mail)

A-level overhaul ‘a challenge to recruitment’ for universities (Telegraph)

Friday

A levels

1000s of pupils in the UK are being given scant or wrong advice about the best A-level subjects to study to gain a degree place, a study by the Student Room online forum has found. Almost a third of those who took part in the study rated their school’s career advice as ‘weak’ and a quarter said they did not have enough information to make informed choices about their future careers or the subjects they should study to achieve their ambitions.

Students complain of bad A-level advice for degree path (BBC News)

Fees

There is a leader piece in The Times which suggests that the UUK results show higher fees are forcing students to make smarter choices. 

Higher fees force students to make smarter choices (The Times)