Earlier this month a significant announcement came out of Ucas, the universities’ and colleges’ admissions service.
To very little fanfare, it announced that students who receive free school meals would no longer have to pay the admissions application fee of £28.50.
At first glance, this might not seem a huge amount of money. But for those of us with sixth forms serving disadvantaged communities, we know only too well that this £28.50 can be the difference between a talented student deciding to continue their studies in an area they are passionate about or having to take a different path altogether.
Opening up university applications
Because the truth is that £28.50 is a very real barrier for so many students, particularly in the current climate. It’s the difference between your mum or dad being able to pay the electricity bill or get essential items in the weekly shop. It is a cultural barrier that reinforces the voice in their head that says, “See, this isn’t for you.”
Data from Ucas shows that in England 19.1 per cent of 18-year-olds eligible for free school meals go on to university, compared with 36.4 per cent of those who do not claim free school meals. And despite the best efforts of universities to encourage those from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply, the entry rate for students in receipt of free school meals is at its lowest since 2019.
Not unsurprisingly, these students don’t want to be saddled with the debt that comes with going to university. But with the admissions application fee, many of them simply don’t even get out of the blocks
Which is why, historically, we have always paid the fee for our students - so that they don’t have to. Last year, for instance, we paid £3,000 to cover the cost of these fees for around 100 students from across our trust, as well as a further £5,000 for access, visits and engagement.
I’m incredibly proud of what these students have gone on to achieve. They include an incredibly talented Year 13 who went on to study law at Oxfor, and their friend who had a natural aptitude for medicine and is now studying at Exeter.
In abolishing the application fee for students who receive free school meals, Ucas has in a single swipe stopped money being the psychological barrier for these students.
We are a trust that wants to broaden our students’ horizons and open their eyes to the world of possibility. Now, instead of being able to fund just one trip to a university open day, the saving afforded to us means that we can afford to pay for two open days, giving students more opportunity to get a flavour of what life is like at different universities.
The new ‘grades on entry’ tool
Alongside this important move, Ucas also unveiled a “grades on entry” tool. Previous Ucas research found that nearly half (49 per cent) of applicants were admitted with lower than published entry requirements.
The tool will show students offer rates and the historic grades held by previous successful applicants on admission to a particular course, alongside the listed entry requirements published by universities.
These measures send a strong signal to the sector that Ucas means business about keeping as many doors open as possible for all students, but especially for those for whom the doors may appear closed.
These are the very first actions of the newly installed CEO, Jo Saxton. We should all watch with interest to see what else Ucas has planned.
Dan Morrow is CEO and trust leader for Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust
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