Durham: Defer by year and get a ‘cash reward’
DURHAM last night became the first university to offer students cash rewards if they agreed to wait a year before enrolling.
The university made the announcement after it emerged 15,000 students are now eligible to switch back to their firstchoice institution.
Durham’s offer will rile some struggling universities, whom it was last night said could face ‘financially crippling’ losses if students hold out for their first choice.
It is feared that increased numbers of students waiting a year to get into their first choice university, rather than downgrading to a less prestigious alternative this year, could cause a financial black hole for certain less popular institutions.
Durham University said ‘ this unprecedented situation’ had lead to ‘various capacity issues, both in regard to teaching and accommodation’ and it warned ‘it is possible that some offer holders… will have to defer entry to 2021 in order to enrol’.
It told prospective undergraduates: ‘Students who opt to defer to 2021 will be guaranteed college accommodation in 2021 and will be provided with a bursary by Durham University to help with their transition to university life. Further details will follow shortly.’
Last night, Ucas said pupils who were originally rejected by their firstchoice university could now claim a place with their updated grades.
The Russell Group of elite universities are likely to bear the brunt of these extra student numbers, putting pressure on staff to admit as many pupils as possible,
Last night, Dr Tim Bradshaw, CEO of the group, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, said ‘this is a stressful time for students and our admissions teams’.
‘We... urge Government to provide guidance and additional support to help the sector deal with both the immediate and longer-term impact of an unprecedented rise in numbers.
‘Many of our members are taking more students this year and have committed to honouring offers made, however constraints on capacity, teaching and support resources and the need to ensure universities operate in a Covid-safe way, mean some places may have to be deferred.’
Last night the Financial Times reported the Government was preparing to announce that the cap on medical students numbers would be lifted. They said extra cash would also be injected into the sector to help train them, as a result of the increased numbers now eligible to study after having their grades uplifted.
The British Medical Association’s Dr Helena McKeown said: ‘The UK is vastly short of doctors so increasing the number of medics in training makes sense, however this must be followed up with support and funding for both the universities sector and the NHS further down the line.’
Universities minister Michelle Donelan said: ‘We are working closely with the higher education sector to understand the challenges facing universities and provide as much support as we can.’