The Global Equity Policy Map represents a first attempt to build an international database on national equity policies in higher education. The first report looking at these policies “All around the world – Higher education equity policies across the globe” contains information on each country obtained by consulting official websites, official documents, academic publications and the advice of government officials or academics. Read More.

Elite universities are all but failing to increase access for disadvantaged pupils, according to a study published by the public services thinktank Reform. In the past five years, the average annual increase in the proportion of disadvantaged students at each of 29 elite universities has been less than 1 per cent. "According to Ucas, more 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are entering higher education than ever before, with an increase of 78 per cent since 2006 for the most disadvantag...

A reduction in tuition fees would make it harder for disadvantaged students to go to university, according to a group of funding charities. A post-18 education commission, set up by Theresa May, is reported to be considering recommending fees be cut to £6,500 from the current £9,250. At the moment universities are required to set aside part of their income to help students from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds enter higher education. That works out at about £860m for this year. But six charitie...

Too many graduates in England are being left with big debts for too little payback, MPs are warning. Nearly half of recent graduates were not working in graduate roles in 2017, the Commons education committee says. Its chairman Robert Halfon also highlights the excessive pay of some university vice-chancellors, saying that is not value for money. The government is reviewing post-18 education and funding to see how it can ensure that value. The Augur Review, which is due to report early...

There has been a "remarkable shift" in poorer children now receiving a bigger share of education spending in England, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The independent financial researchers say in previous generations children from richer families were the main beneficiaries, as they were likely to stay longer in education. But this pattern has been reversed by policies deliberately "skewed" to give more funding towards the deprived and with more poorer youngsters going to sixth form and un...

Employers and universities are calling for major changes to student funding in England, to reverse the collapse in part-time student numbers. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says university should not only be for young people, and adults need to be able to re-train for new skills. Part-time undergraduate numbers have fallen by more than 50% since 2010. The CBI and Universities UK want more support for students to take short, flexible part-time courses. A joint statement warns of a ge...

Prospective university students turn to parents and friends as much as teachers for advice on their options, new polling for the Office for Students shows. The poll, by YouthSight, comes as a new report from CFE Research calls for a more tailored approach to information provision that reflects individual students’ needs, backgrounds and preferences. The poll sought the views of over 2,000 current, prospective, and previous higher education students. It found that 71 per cent per cent of prospect...

Traditionally, universities looking to widen access have focused on secondary aged children preparing to take their next step in education. This is certainly an important moment in a young person’s life, but in many cases it may be too late to shape their decision-making. Universities are looking to solve problems which can become entrenched far earlier in a child’s education. In 2016, a Ucas survey pointed out that children who know they want to enter higher education by age 10 or earlier ar...

These six young people are ambitious and determined. They are an aspiring teacher, a future social worker, a would-be accountant, a budding cardiologist, a wannabe pilot and a veterinary surgeon of tomorrow. But they fear their dreams, and those of young people like them, may be thwarted by further education funding pressures. They are all students at New City College in east London, which is closing the doors to its six campuses on Wednesday so staff can join a march against the cuts. ...