Government Fails To Encourage Poor Students Into University

By Sophia Start

The Government has endured criticism as last July, it closed Aimhigher, a higher education outreach programme that used £78m last year to make students from schools in the poorest areas enthusiastic about higher education.

Professor Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, called it “poor timing”, since it has been proved that poorer students will be discouraged to follow higher education due to the trebling of tuition fees.

Universities Deprived of Money before the Rise of Tuition Fees

Universities have become entirely responsible to outreach those families that do not have anyone that has followed higher education. However, they lack the money to do so, as the higher tuition fees will only be introduced in 2012-2013.

If you are concerned about tuition fees, and would like to know more information on how to save for your child, talk to one of our financial experts for more information.

Ebdon said “What is happening is that they [the Government] have abolished Aimhigher in the year before the additional money from access arrangements becomes available to universities. It is crucially important in this year to speak to students and to explain the situation to them around tuition fees, to provide that vital guidance. And it is not just those soon to go to university: Aimhigher worked with younger schoolchildren too, which is very important.

“In these tough times, when budgets have been cut, universities will have a choice of whether to dig deep and continue to spend on outreach or wait until next year to rehire people when they have the money.”

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Class Gap at Universities Widened

Since the mid-1990s, the gap between the classes going to university has widened. There are worries that poorer students will not go to university due to the high amount of debt they will acquire. The average debt for students starting next year will be no less than £56,000 when they finish.

An analysis conducted by the Commons library reveals that universities will spend 60% less on outreach than they did the year before.

Additionally, Sir Martin Harris, director of the Office for Fair Access, pointed out that outreach to poorer students was the best option to encourage them to go to university. Bursaries and fee waivers only helped to decide which university.

In November the Junior ISA will be launched. It may be the right solution to your saving worries, and surrounding its launch there will be competitive rates.

This year a new record has been established of 682,514 people who want to go to university. 135,000 of them, which is 86,000 more than in previous years, will compete for 46,000 places in the clearing scheme.

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