On track

Universities predicted to take more students from under-represented groups after rethinking their strategies.

English universities are expected to meet 90 per cent of the targets they agreed with the Office for Fair Access, it stated today. Although they spent £628 million on improving access in 2013-14, much investment is now on ensuring student success and progression rather than providing financial support to students. The grants and bursaries that do remain are better targeted towards students from low income and under-represented groups.

The office’s annual monitoring report shows an improvement on the previous year, which suggested universities had met or were expected to meet 82 per cent of the targets they had set themselves in July 2012. One in three targets has been met ahead of schedule. And universities “can expect to see good progress” next year in meeting the outcomes they are required to achieve as a condition for charging higher fees. At the most highly selective universities, where access has previously remained difficult to improve, there are rising entry rates for disadvantaged young people, according to the document.