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The individuality of student choice

Mon 30 January 2023 - 09:13

By Carys Willgoss, Principal Policy Adviser, UCAS in Student choice

The chance to go to university or begin a traineeship or apprenticeship is one of the biggest decisions an individual will make. It’s not just a big financial investment, but a period of major emotional and psychological upheaval. So, what’s behind this decision? To what extent do factors such as employability, the chance to develop skills, and wellbeing metrics influence applicants’ behaviour? And how do individual perceptions of value affect decision-making? Here’s what we learnt from a survey of around 20,000 applicants applying through UCAS for undergraduate study in 2022.

Value matters to students, but is a highly subjective concept

Upfront we learn that it is ‘extremely important’ or ‘important’ to more than nine in 10 individuals that their course is ‘good value’. Moreover, the proportion of applicants who say value is ‘extremely important’ increases with age – 75% for those aged 25 and over, relative to 62% for 18-year-olds – reflecting the magnitude of...

Making informed HE choices without support from your family

Mon 15 April 2024 - 09:05

By Susan Darlington, Partnership Assistant at Go Higher West Yorkshire in Widening access and participation

Making decisions about the next steps on your higher education (HE) journey can be an exciting time, filled with the possibility of studying a new subject, moving to a new city, and making new friends.

But if you have no contact with your close family members – you're estranged due to an irreconcilable breakdown in your relationship with them - and are living independently, it can be a time of great uncertainty. Without the financial, emotional and practical support of a family network it can be challenging to negotiate travelling to open days, securing accommodation, and applying for student finance. Reaching out for help can also feel daunting when faced with the stigma of estrangement.

Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) understands these can be significant challenges to face on your own, which is why we produced the country's very first collaborative Stand Alone Pledge.

The...

Progression to HE for Welsh Domiciled Students - what did UCAS learn in 2022?

Thu 19 January 2023 - 11:11

By Haleema Masud, Policy Adviser, UCAS in Higher education

Progression into higher education (HE) and training is a major life event for students, with qualifications the currency. That’s why UCAS responded to the recent consultation on GCSE reform by Qualifications Wales. Doing so gave us an opportunity to highlight our engagement this year with Welsh students and providers, as reflected in our end of cycle data for 2022 HE applications.

With students sitting exams for the first time since 2019, a record number applied for universities and colleges in the UK in 2022. This blog shares key insights from that data, and from our consultation response.

Highlights from the 2022 applications cycle

As the gateway to UK HE, UCAS has been supporting students and providers in Wales in making informed choices for 30...

Five steps UCAS is taking to reform the undergraduate admissions process

Thu 12 January 2023 - 15:07

By Kim Eccleston, Head of Strategy and Reform – Strategy, Policy and Public Affairs, UCAS in Higher education

First published on the HEPI website on 12 January 2023.

At UCAS, we are continually working to improve the admissions service to serve applicants better and broaden participation for all students, whether pursuing a traditional undergraduate degree or an apprenticeship. As an independent charity, fair admissions, transparency and putting applicants’ best interests at the heart of the system are absolutely central to our role. Over the past three years, we have been working to develop and deliver new improvements to provide a more flexible system for all when exploring and connecting to choices.

Why are we introducing these changes?

We first published areas for improvement in our ...

What’s happening in Scotland?

Tue 13 December 2022 - 11:23

By Holly Brown, Policy Adviser, UCAS in Higher education

After two years of educational disruption linked to COVID, the higher education (HE) sector seems to be entering a period of natural reflection. Those across the education sector are asking how we can ensure that individuals accessing education can thrive, and what needs to be changed going forward.

At UCAS, we want to take this opportunity to look at the broader picture in Scotland through our end of cycle data, before covering the key points from our response to the Scottish Government’s National Discussion. Our response to the consultation is very much shaped by the wider context of the significant uplift in student numbers that we are anticipating in the next few years. By the 2026 admissions cycle, we’re projecting that we could see up to one million applicants, around 27% more than in 2021, and twice as many as in 2006. In Scotland specifically, we expect a 10% increase in...

Are we at a crossroads for access and participation?

Wed 9 November 2022 - 10:00

By Carys Willgoss, Principal Policy Adviser and Ellie Rowley, Fair Access Programme Lead in Widening access and participation

Supporting disadvantaged students is at the heart of UCAS’ charitable objects – we are committed to helping students from all backgrounds in progressing into and through education. Our origin story itself – the merger of Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) and Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS) in 1992 – was designed to create equality of opportunity for aspiring students, streamlining two systems into one.

Most recently, UCAS has significantly invested in this area through the launch of the Fair Access Programme to build on our existing work and add additional value to the work already underway across the sector. Through our response to the...

From insight to action – building the South West nursing workforce of the future

Mon 3 October 2022 - 15:03

By Carys Willgoss, Principal Policy Adviser, UCAS in Higher education

The past 18 months has seen UCAS accelerate its ambition to be the go-to place for higher education data-driven insights. We’ve published no fewer than ten policy reports during this period, sharing our insight to drive positive change. One such report was our deep-dive into nursing, ‘Next Steps: Who are the ‘future nurses’?’ The report, published in January 2022 in partnership with Health Education England (HEE), painted a picture of the next generation of nurses who have been inspired by the pandemic.

Rather than filing these reports into the data archives, we want to ensure their longevity and utility. That’s why, last week, UCAS took the opportunity to host a roundtable event, in conjunction with regional nursing specialists from the South West. With thanks to the 40+ colleagues who attended – the learnings were fivefold.

1. The data story - rising demand masks regional inequalities  ...

How accessible is university for learners with SEND?

Tue 27 September 2022 - 08:15

By Alex Grady Head of Education and Whole School SEND, nasen in Widening access and participation

What do you understand by ‘SEND’ or ‘special educational needs and disabilities’? There can be an assumption (probably an unconscious one) that learners with SEND will not be on a pathway to higher education, as they have ‘learning difficulties’. This is a misconception. There are many reasons why a young person is on the SEND register, many of which should not and do not mean that they don’t have the academic potential to access HE.

Take the young person with autism, who achieves highly in their chosen subjects but may find social interaction and change or transition challenging, and so is anxious about moving on to HE and doesn’t apply. Or the young person with a physical disability who communicates via eye gaze technology, but has exceptional ability in science (Stephen Hawking, anyone?). How about the young person who has recently been identified with dyslexia, which helps to explain why they have struggled to get their essays in on time – their potential in history...

Applicants love to hear from students so how we capture their views matters

Wed 31 August 2022 - 12:26

By Carys Willgoss, Principal Policy Adviser, UCAS  in Higher education

The latest consultation on changes to the National Student Survey (NSS) could be summarised as evolution, not revolution. This phase covers several thematic areas, building on findings from earlier stages of the review, dating back to 2020. Nonetheless, applicants consistently speak of the value of hearing from current students. For example, when we asked this year’s applicants how important certain factors were in deciding which universities or colleges to apply to, 88% told us that good student reviews were ‘extremely important’ or ‘important.’

This means that ensuring that the NSS remains fit for purpose as an information tool will be critical to UCAS’ objective of inspiring and...

Time for some post-match (consultation) analysis

Thu 11 August 2022 - 12:17

By Carys Willgoss, Principal Policy Adviser in UCAS advice

In June, we had a hint from then Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, announcing that ‘no-one is talking about limiting the overall number of people who go to higher education.’ However, ministerial changes since then mean that details remain unclear.

Both leadership campaigns have made pledges related to education and skills and, once in post, figuring out the next steps for higher education reform will be high on political agendas. By way of reminder, here’s an overview of UCAS’ evidence to date.

What’s happening with demand for HE and training?

UCAS projects the 2026 cycle could see one million applicants – around 27% more than in 2021, and double those seen in 2006. About 55% of this increase will be attributable to a growth in demand from UK 18-year-olds (...

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