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Universities turn to unconditional offers as exams cancelled

Several institutions switch to unconditional offers amid Covid-19 pandemic as government advice published

More universities are beginning to hand out unconditional offers to students as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, sparking a warning this could lead to “bankruptcy” for less popular institutions.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson cancelled all exams on 18 March, leaving A Level students and universities in the dark about how recruitment for September would operate. In a statement on 20 March, Williamson said his priority was “to ensure no young person faces a barrier when it comes to moving onto the next stage of their lives—whether that’s further or higher education, an apprenticeship or a job”.

In updated guidance, Williamson said students’ previous work—including mock exam results—would be scrutinised to help teachers arrive at a fair grade that would reflect their expected attainment, which will be finalised by exam boards. Students will also have the opportunity to sit exams in the next academic year if they want to, and they can appeal their grades if they believe they have been treated unfairly.

In a joint statement published on 20 March, the heads of the research-intensive Russell Group, small and specialist institutions’ body GuildHE, modern universities’ group MilionPlus and technical providers’ body University Alliance said their members would be “flexible and responsive” in the admissions process.

“We know many students are anxious about what the cancellation of exams and assessments might mean. Our message to students is [that] we understand and universities are here for you,” wrote Russell Group chief executive Tim Bradshaw; GuildHE leader Gordon Mckenzie; MillionPlus boss Greg Walker and University Alliance head Vanessa Wilson.

“Universities are committed to doing all they can to support students and applicants and ensure they can progress to university. This will involve being flexible and responsive in their admissions processes.”

The leaders added that “every effort will be made” to ensure students who had already applied or were thinking of applying through clearing “are not disadvantaged in any way by the decision not to go ahead with exams this summer”.

Some universities started to make unconditional offers to secure student places before the guidance on exams was published.

Mary Curnock Cook, former head of admissions body Ucas, told Research Professional News that increasing unconditional offers could lead to a situation “where the more popular universities hoover up all the home students, leaving those less popular on the edge of bankruptcy.”

Among institutions giving out unconditional offers is York St John University, which said it had “decided to take decisive action” and was confirming existing offers as soon as possible “to provide maximum reassurance”. Cardiff Metropolitan University is making its conditional offers unconditional “to help alleviate the stress and uncertainty for Home/EU applicants”.

Liverpool Hope University said it had “taken the decision as an institution to change existing conditional offers to unconditional for the vast majority of our courses”. It will also let students register on campus early “so that they can familiarise themselves with formal study after what may be a long period of time away”. Edge Hill University is also understood to be among those switching to unconditional offers.

It comes despite the government’s crackdown on unconditional offers, which Williamson has accused universities of using to “get students through the door”.

But other universities are waiting for official government guidance before they decide what to do. A spokesperson for the London School of Economics confirmed it is “awaiting further guidance from the Department for Education on how grades for UK exams will be issued under a different process and a different system” before switching to unconditional offers. A University of Manchester spokesperson said it was “urgently seeking guidance from Government” on how qualifications will be awarded.

Andrew Westwood, professor of government practice at the University of Manchester, said universities would have to keep their widening participation targets in mind when recruiting students for September. An alternative awarding system using predicted grades could hit disadvantaged students as predictions “tend not to favour” this group, he said.

But Westwood said there were “some reasons to be positive” and that universities in the research-intensive Russel Group could offer more flexibility in their entry requirements. “Given the market is more unpredictable than usual with both Brexit and the likely decline in international numbers, it makes some business and financial sense to over-offer and over-recruit,” he said, although he warned the Office for Students could intervene if a university was “taking more than its fair share”.

For Graeme Atherton of the National Educational Opportunity Network, a widespread move to unconditional offers will work as long as students are “given the full opportunity to decide what is best for them”. “The OfS and the government need to continually monitor what happens here over the next six months to ensure that students in this context still get the chance to make choices,” he added.

A more detailed analysis of what exam cancellations could mean for universities can be found in today’s 8am Playbook.