Higher Education: Admissions
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the higher education admissions system takes into account the frequent relocations of military service children.
Answered by Janet Daby
Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and are responsible for their own admissions decisions.
Universities and colleges decide who to offer a place to by considering a range of factors detailed within an applicant's UCAS application. In addition to their predicted grades, this can include their personal statement, teacher references, contextual factors and, for certain courses that have an October application deadline, their performance in admissions tests. This is a process that differs between providers and even between different courses at the same providers.
Admissions teams are accustomed to considering a wide range of personal circumstances when making decisions.
Higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) intending to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS. Providers are expected to take into account the OfS Equality of Opportunity Risk Register in developing a plan. The Register identifies service children as a group in particular need of support.
The government takes a close interest in ensuring that the system is fair. We work closely with HE providers and sector bodies to make sure the system works well for students.
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