Universities in turmoil over student deferrals
Universities are bracing themselves for a wave of deferrals as the June deadline for entries approaches. Vicechancellors are drawing up plans for multiple admissions before the June 18 deadline for prospective students to decide whether or not they want to accept a place for this autumn. A survey published last month found that over a fifth of university applicants said that they would defer their acceptance of a place if plans to put lectures online went ahead.
UNIVERSITIES are braced for a wave of deferrals as the June deadline approaches, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
Vice-chancellors are drawing up plans for multiple admissions scenarios ahead of June 18, which is the deadline for prospective students to decide whether or not they accept a place for this autumn. University leaders fear that the prospect of online lectures, “virtual” freshers’ weeks and severely restricted social activities will put students off taking up places this year.
“There is an increasing level of worry about deferrals among British students,” Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute said. “Universities are preparing for it.”
“There are concerns that the online learning experience may not be as good as in person. There is always an excitement about freshers’ week, and students will think they are not going to have any of that.”
A survey published last month found that over a fifth of university applicants have said they will defer their places if plans to put lectures online go ahead.
Up to 23 per cent of prospective students said they would no longer want to take up a place at university this autumn if it is not “operating as usual”, according to a report compiled by London Economics for the University and College Union.
This would mean an estimated 120,000 students may delay attending British campuses when the academic year begins in September and October.
Earlier this week, university leaders revealed that they are drawing up plans for students to be grouped into “bubbles” to live and study together in a bid to limit the transmission of coronavirus on campus.
Prof Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of Exeter University, told The Telegraph: “What we are trying to work out is the extent to which there will be a bigger percentage than normal who defer. I am in touch every day with my team about this, we need to prepare for two or three very different outcomes.
“Vice-chancellors are spending all their time trying to make sure that online lectures will be the highest quality, it is challenging, and it won’t be the same,” he said.
He said that for prestigious Russell Group universities that have multiple students applying for every place, a wave of deferrals pose less of an issue than they do to other institutions.
Prof Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK (UUK), which represents vice-chancellors, insisted this week that it remains an incredibly “exciting” time to go to university, adding that a good degree will prepare students for what will be a “very challenging jobs market”.
UUK warned ministers in April that they faced “major financial risks” in the 2020-21 academic year due to a fall in the number of overseas students combined with a rise in undergraduate deferrals from home students.
They said that without Government support, some institutions will face “financial failure”.
It comes as the universities watchdog, the Office for Students, publishes a report into drop out rates and degree outcomes. It found that less than two thirds of the poorest students graduate with a first class degree or an upper second, compared with 85 per cent of wealthier peers. The poorest students – those eligible for free school meals in the six years before their GCSES – were also more likely to drop out.