Unconditional offers ‘are undermining credibility of higher education’
UNIVERSITIES are “undermining the credibility of higher education” by handing out soaring numbers of unconditional offers, an education minister has warned.
Fierce competition between universities to attract students has meant sixth-form pupils are increasingly being offered places regardless of their exam results. Since 2013, the number of unconditional places offered to school leavers has surged from 2,985 to 67,915 – a rise of about 2,175 per cent.
In the past year alone, there has been a 32per cent rise, according to figures released by Ucas, the university admissions service.
Sam Gyimah, the universities minister, accused universities of acting in a “completely irresponsible” manner, as he urged them to cut down on the practice. “Places at universities should only be offered to those who will benefit from them, and giving out unconditional offers just to put bums on seats undermines the credibility of the university system,” he said.
“Along with the Office for Students, I am closely monitoring the number being issued and fully expect the regulator to take appropriate action.”
The lifting of controls in England in 2015 gave universities free rein on undergraduate recruitment. But the move has led to accusations that they now act like businesses, seeking to maximise their revenue by recruiting as many students as possible.
A fresh analysis by Ucas found that five years ago, 2,570 applicants received at least one unconditional offer (1.1per cent of all 18-year-olds).
In 2018, the number increased to 58,385, meaning more than a fifth (22.9 per cent) of school leavers received at least one unconditional offer. More recently, unconditional offers have been used to “attract and retain interest from applicants in an increasingly competitive marketplace”, the Ucas report noted.
Sally Hunt, the general secretary of University and College Union, said: “The proliferation of unconditional offers is detrimental to the interests of students, and it is time the UK joined the rest of the world in basing university offers on actual achievements.”