Percentage of poor going to university hits a 12-year low

POOR students are now less likely to go to university than their wealthier peers than at any point in the last decade, figures show.

Just over a quarter (26.3 per cent) of pupils eligible for free school meals went on to university last year, compared to 44.9 per cent of those who were not, said the Department for Education (DFE).

The gap between the two groups – 18.6 percentage points – is the widest it has been since 2006-7.

Although the proportion of free school meal students going to university has increased over time, the proportion of their wealthier peers has increased at a faster rate, meaning the gap between the two has grown larger.

Universities have spent millions of pounds on schemes aimed at “widening access” in recent years, amid pressure from ministers and the regulator to admit more students from deprived backgrounds.

A study published earlier this month found that 10,000 wealthy students would have to be denied access to top universities each year in order to meet the regulator’s equality target.

The Office for Students (OFS), the higher education watchdog, has set an ambitious goal for Russell Group institutions to “eliminate” the gap in admissions within 20 years.

But unless universities rapidly expand the number of places they offer, this would mean effectively capping the number of middle-class students admitted, according to an analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at the OFS, acknowledged that “slow progress” has been made in recent years.

A Universities UK spokesman said that institutions are committed to boosting the number of disadvantaged students.

There are now record numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university, they said.

“However, it is clear that a number of challenges and disparities remain and there is a shared will in the sector to see gaps narrow further,” the spokesman said.

The DFE urged universities to “take steps to level the playing field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and other under-represented groups”.