The DfE have made a series of announcements relating to higher education in England:
- Fairer higher education system for students and taxpayers
- Post-qualification admissions in higher education: proposed changes
UCAS’ Chief Executive, Clare Marchant has made the following statement to the media:
As an independent charity, improving opportunities and outcomes for students, regardless of their background, will always be our absolute priority.
We have a well-developed ongoing programme of reform that has student choice, transparency, and fair access at its heart. Having engaged extensively with students, teachers, universities, colleges and employers on our plans, we believe continuing to deliver these improvements will make sure students can make the right decisions for them.
Being able to support all students, help them make well-informed decisions about their futures and give them more flexibility as they apply was never dependent on post-qualification admissions.
Students can already explore all their post-secondary options on ucas.com, and we will bring true parity across undergraduate courses, apprenticeships, and technical training by presenting their choices side-by-side.
As we continue to transform how students make their decisions, over the last two years UCAS has introduced Clearing Plus and new services such as ‘decline my place’ giving students greater control over their application. Last year over 4,000 disadvantaged students secured a new university or college choice using Clearing Plus, with more than 15,000 UK students using it to secure a place at a more selective institution after getting their results. We therefore already have an element of post-qualification admissions in the system that is working well.”