Universities: Admissions
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 15242 on Universities: Admissions, if she will publish the Office for Students guidance on the use of TUNDRA.
Answered by Department for Education
The department does not issue guidance to higher education providers on the use of tracking underrepresentation by area (TUNDRA) in admissions decisions. Universities are autonomous institutions and are responsible for their own admissions policies and decisions. The Office for Students (OfS) already publishes information and guidance on area-based measures of higher education participation, including participation of local areas (POLAR) and TUNDRA, available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/young-participation-by-area/about-tundra/, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/mesjucep/regulatory-advice-6-how-to-prepare-an-access-and-participation-plan-may-2025.pdf
The OfS recommends the use of TUNDRA where an area-based measure of young participation is needed, as it provides more precise targeting and improved consistency with other participation measures, although POLAR may still provide additional insights in some circumstances. Higher education providers remain responsible for determining whether and how such measures are used in admissions processes.
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