University misses access targets

Data recently released by the Office For Fair Access (OFFA) has revealed that Warwick has failed to reach its target numbers of students from poorer backgrounds.

OFFA announced on 29th September that the University, along with 22 other higher education institutions, did not achieve its own targets. The University’s access agreement with OFFA for the 2009/2010 academic year aimed for a percentage increase in the number of students from socio-economically deprived families and state school students, and it has now been revealed that this target was not met.

Of this year’s intake of full-time undergraduate students, 74.7 per cent were from state schools, narrowly missing the target of 76.5 per cent.

In response to the figures, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts remarked that: “social mobility has stalled…while universities have met their financial commitments to students, we need to see real progress in fair access, especially at our most selective institutions.” Willetts has previously cited Warwick’s “commitment to fair access” in preparation for the incoming £9,000 a year tuition fees.

However, student participation figures from the past few years show that the top universities are often below the general average percentage of students from poorer backgrounds or state schools. This has been put down to the academic demands of leading universities such as Warwick; attainment data shows a direct link between a student’s A level grades and their family’s income.

Under the new tuition fees scheme, all universities that are to charge undergraduates above £6,000 per year will have to sign an annual OFFA agreement. In this, they will have to list the financial support that students from lower income families can receive and outreach programs the universities will implement. Universities will also have to propose a student participation target.

The government has said that it will make offers for the access agreement more stringent with the imposition of higher tuition fees. Willetts commented: “Our funding reforms ensure that from next year, universities will redouble their efforts to recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Last year, for the first time, the Students’ Union had some input into the University’s access agreement and was able to lobby for an increase in bursary levels. The bursaries for next year, when Warwick will start to charge up to £9,000 in undergraduate tuition fees, will be as follows. Students from families with an income of less than £25,000 p.a will receive a bursary of £2,500 (an increase on the current £1,500) as well as a maximum fee waiver of £2,000. Those from families with incomes of up to £36,000 are set to receive £1,500 (up from £1,000) in bursaries and a possible £500 is available for those from families earning up to £42,600.

Sean Ruston, Education Officer at the Students’ Union, commented that: “Warwick [SU] over a period of several months lobbied the University to increase the financial support for students from poorer backgrounds and we successfully secured higher bursaries. We take the view that in an environment where maintenance loans or grants don’t meet basic living costs for students, it was more important to increase the bursary amounts rather than the fee waivers”.

Remarking on new governmental guidance, Director of Fair Access Sir Martin Harris said: “This… to me sends a clear message about the importance the Government places on fair access to higher education.”

However, he went on to note: “With considerable uncertainty about their income from increased fees, universities clearly face some difficult decisions.”