Universities have been thrown into chaos over the Government’s exams U-turn last night as 55,000 pupils scramble for the remaining places and elite institutions warned of ‘stretched resources.’
The industry’s main umbrella body said universities were seeking ‘urgent clarification’ on how to accommodate students they had earlier refused because of A-level results downgrades.
55,000 pupils who were rejected by their first choices had signed up for other institutions – and could now want to return to their desired university if their grades are bumped up by the U-turn.
And roughly 30,000 accepted a place at their second choice university, while an additional 80,000 are holding out for appeals.
It is thought that up to 1,500 potential Oxbridge students could miss out on going to one of the ancient universities and it is thought Cambridge University extended offers to around 4,500 pupils but only has 3,450 places.
Oxford made around 3,900 offers for an expected 3,287 places, reported the Daily Telegraph. Both elite institutions have already said some applicants will have to take deferred places as they do not have spaces for everyone to start in the autumn.
The Russell Group, who represent the top institutions in the UK, has warned that any increase in admissions risked ‘stretching resources’. And that some universities would not be able to take on more students due to safety restrictions put in place to stem the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gavin Williamson last night said the Government would expect universities to try to ‘build as much capacity’ as possible so students could make their first-choice offers – although detailed plans do not yet exist
Ministers last night lifted a temporary recruitment cap designed to prevent the most popular universities from hoovering up students at the expense of less popular institutions.
Universities are now seeking legal advice to find out what obligations they have to the 55,000 pupils who did not get good enough grades under the algorithm, but after the u-turn now have the sufficient marks, as reported by The Times.
Gavin Williamson last night said the Government would expect universities to try to ‘build as much capacity’ as possible so students could make their first-choice offers – although detailed plans do not yet exist.
The Education Secretary said: ‘We expect universities to be flexible and to go above and beyond to be able to honour those commitments… that’s why today we’ve lifted student numbers caps in order for universities to be able to expand put extra capacity into the system.’
This came as students in next year’s cohort have already expressed concerns about the knock on effect of deferred places on their chances of getting into top institutions.
A large number of this year’s students deferring will limit the number of places available for the 2021 intake.
Popular courses, including law, are already full, despite there being 135,000 potential students, with many qualified for their first choice institutions.
Universities say that they were not consulted about the Government’s decision to use teachers’ predicted grades instead of the controversial algorithm to determine A-levels.
Now, amid the U-turn, the number of pupils who meet the requirements for their first choices has risen by a considerable amount.
A head of admissions at one university told The Times withdrawing offers for successful applicants was ‘unthinkable’ – but he admitted he had ‘no idea’ how to handle the thousands of applicants who would be able to claim a position.
One parent of a daughter who plans to apply to Cambridge told the Times: ‘I’m pleased for the kids who have been through this but what happens now?
‘I cannot see how she doesn’t face an even bigger uphill battle to get a place if some of them have already been earmarked for this year’s students.’
In a statement, Ucas – the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – did not offer a guarantee for youngsters to get a place at their first choice destination.
It means the U-turn threatens to throw struggling admissions departments into disarray over the coming days as they try to resolve the crisis.
Mary Curnock Cook, former head of Ucas, last night predicted ‘chaos’ due to the ‘extra volume’ of students, which she estimated at 55,000, now trying to switch to their first-choice destinations.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, chief executive of UCAS Clare Marchant said: ‘My first bit of advice to students as of last night when we had this change is don’t knee jerk into anything, talk to your parents or guardian and then look at your centre assessed grade and then say do I need to contact my first choice university and have a conversation with them, and that would be my immediate advice.’
Those with offers for some of the most competitive universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, are expected to be the most likely to be told to defer for a year if they want to go to their original first choice.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said universities will ‘only be able to fit a certain number of people before social distancing becomes impossible’.
He also flagged concerns around ‘physical capacity’ and the number of teaching staff universities would need to accommodate all students.
Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, warned that the sector needed ‘urgent clarification’ on a ‘number of crucial issues’ immediately.
He said: ‘The events and confusion of recent days have added further uncertainty and distress to students who have already faced many difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Universities will do everything they can to work through these issues in the days ahead. The Government will need to step up and support universities through the challenges created by this late policy change.’
The prestigious Russell Group of universities also demanded answers on how they should deal with the surfeit of new students.
Dr Tim Bradshaw, the group’s chief executive said: ‘We know the changing situation is creating uncertainty for students and universities.
‘However there are limits to what can be done by the university sector alone… We now need urgent clarification from Government on the additional support it will provide to help universities with the expected increases in student numbers, particularly for high cost subjects such as chemistry, medicine and engineering.’
Ucas pointed out that at present, 69 per cent of 18-year-old applicants had been placed with their first-choice university – a higher percentage than last year.
It advised students who had been rejected from their first choice university because of the A-level downgrades not to rush into a decision about what to do next, and said it would issue further advice to students and schools.
The Government introduced a one-year student numbers cap to limit the number of domestic undergraduates each university could take, preventing less popular universities from losing out in a smaller student market during the pandemic.
This cap has since been ditched. Some universities, including Buckingham, had already pledged to take applicants who missed their grades before yesterday’s U-turn, with a few Oxford colleges taking the same decision.
Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University agreed the decision will ‘create major difficulties’.
He said: ‘Many will have already filled their places, as they make more offers than they expect to admit.’
And the University and College Union said admissions staff were already facing ‘unbearable workloads’, with general secretary Jo Grady saying the ‘political incompetence is unforgivable’.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: ‘The big question remains as to why this decision has taken so long to come, as it may already be too late for some… who have already missed out on their first choice of university and course.’
Dr Simon Hyde, the incoming general secretary of the Headmasters’ and Headmistress’ Conference said the U-turn is ‘not perfect, but it will do’, but called for ‘urgent clarity’ on university admissions.