logo
Universities scramble to give out offers so they don't go bust

Universities scramble to give out offers so they don't go bust

Telegraph6 days ago
Universities have made a record number of offers this year as vice-chancellors scramble to fill places amid a spiralling funding crisis.
More than two million offers were handed out to people applying for UK undergraduate courses starting this September, up 74,000 compared to last year and marking a nine per cent jump since 2023.
It means more than nine in 10 people who applied for British university degrees before the January deadline this year have secured at least one offer.
International students saw the highest rise in their overall offer rate, with almost two-thirds – or 64 per cent – of individual university applications proving successful. It is up from 59 per cent last year and 55 per cent in 2023.
British teenagers will go into this summer's A-level results day more confident than last year's cohort, as the UK 18-year-old offer rate also rose, although marginally.
Students can apply for up to five university courses through Ucas, with 80 per cent of entries from British Year 13 pupils resulting in an offer this year – up 1.2 per cent compared to 2024.
It comes despite the application rate amongst UK 18-year-olds declining this year, suggesting universities have been more generous in handing out offers as they clamber to fill seats.
Many institutions are grappling with worsening financial problems following a drop in overseas students and years of frozen tuition fees, with The Telegraph revealing earlier this year that a record 43 per cent are now in deficit.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, told PA: 'Universities nearly always prefer to fill their places than to have to close courses or make staff redundant, so I am not surprised that they are in such a scramble for students.
'Universities currently lose money on average on each home student but if you can enrol a few more students on lots of your courses then fewer of your courses will make a financial loss.'
The Government announced last year that tuition fees for UK students will rise from September for the first time in eight years.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, confirmed the annual price of a degree will increase from the current £9,250 to £9,535 to help reverse the eroding value of domestic tuition fees, which have remained frozen since 2017.
But vice-chancellors have warned the move will only go a small way in helping universities through the current crisis, after a dramatic drop in lucrative international students dealt a hammer blow to their finances.
Universities have been rushing in recent months to boost their attraction to prospective foreign students, who typically pay much higher tuition fees than those from the UK.
Ucas data published on Thursday showed the efforts may have begun to pay off, with huge rises in applications from some countries.
It includes a 14 per cent increase in applications from the US, which may be in part driven by President Donald Trump's attack on America's top universities.
Mr Trump has slashed funding for many elite US colleges, which he claimed have become hotbeds for ideological indoctrination.
It has meant many American universities are now under pressure to bow to Mr Trump's demands for fear of losing research grants and other funding.
The US leader said he wants to grant the federal government the power to vet admissions and influence hiring, and has also ramped up security checks on foreign student visas.
Meanwhile, undergraduate applications from China jumped 10 per cent this year to hit a record 33,870, despite the growing popularity and reputation of Beijing's domestic universities.
Nigerian applications to UK undergraduate degrees also rose by 23 per cent, in what will prove a lifeline for UK universities highly dependent on students from the country.
There were fears that a Nigerian currency crisis, which pushed the naira to an all-time low against the dollar last year, could deter applications and place some British universities under significant financial pressure.
The Telegraph revealed last year that Nigerian students make up more than a quarter of the postgraduate student population at some UK institutions, including Robert Gordon University and the University of Bradford.
Ucas data primarily covers undergraduate degrees, but most international students come to the UK to study postgraduate courses.
The latest figures suggest overseas students may be increasingly opting for undergraduate degrees in Britain following a crackdown on postgraduates being allowed to bring family members with them.
The previous Conservative government imposed a ban on foreign student dependent visas for most postgraduate students, with a small number of exceptions including for PhD students.
International students enrolling on UK undergraduate courses are unable to bring family members with them in most cases, but the ban on student dependents may have reduced the attraction of postgraduate courses.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Plans for flexible energy tariffs to help households cut electricity bills
Plans for flexible energy tariffs to help households cut electricity bills

The Independent

time4 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Plans for flexible energy tariffs to help households cut electricity bills

Households will be able to switch to flexible energy tariffs and use smart appliances to help cut electricity bills under plans set out by the Government. Energy minister Michael Shanks unveiled the next steps to give households and businesses more freedom and choice over how and when they use energy as part of aims to make savings of up to £70 billion in system costs by 2050. The Government wants to offer consumers new ways to take advantage of off-peak, lower electricity prices, through flexible tariffs and smart technology. This includes helping electric vehicle (EV) drivers get discounts on their electricity when using public chargers at off-peak times. It also plans to ensure suppliers make information on smart tariffs more accessible to consumers, while taking the next steps to offer tailored products and services based on electricity usage. The so-called Clean Flexibility Roadmap comes as part of the UK's net-zero aims, while also helping lower bills and boosting the resilience of the power network. Britain will need to shift towards more flexible energy use as the UK becomes more dependent on wind and solar power, such as charging EV batteries when wind is generating a lot of electricity. Mr Shanks said: 'This roadmap gives households and businesses the choice and control over when and how they use their energy. 'The flexible electricity system we are working to build will help make that a reality for consumers across the country, by supporting them to bring down their bills through using new tariffs and technologies. 'In this way we will protect working people's pockets and ensure they are the first to benefit from our clean power mission.' A flexibility commissioner will be appointed to lead the policy work, and an annual forum will be set up to track progress on the initiative. Akshay Kaul, Ofgem's director general for infrastructure group, said: 'A more flexible energy market will be a real game changer, giving households more control over what they pay for their energy. 'Small lifestyle tweaks such as programming a dishwasher or tumble dryer to run overnight when costs are low or charging your electric car during high winds can have a material impact on people's bills. 'At Ofgem we're opening up flexibility markets to bring better tariffs and products to consumers to make cheaper bills a reality.' The Government has also launched a two-month consultation looking at how more consumers can be supported to use energy flexibly.

Only Nigel Farage benefits from another ‘summer of riots'
Only Nigel Farage benefits from another ‘summer of riots'

The Independent

time4 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Only Nigel Farage benefits from another ‘summer of riots'

"We must not let Reform dominate the summer," Kemi Badenoch told Conservative MPs in an end-of-term pep talk. True, she grabbed some headlines with a limited shadow cabinet reshuffle, but so far, Reform UK is dominating the summer. Other carefully constructed Tory initiatives go largely unreported, to the party's frustration, while Nigel Farage makes news with that smirk or by raising an eyebrow. He is now widening his pitch beyond immigration, which he has banked as a vote-winner, and will campaign on law and order over the summer. His pledge to halve crime at a cost of £17bn doesn't add up. But it still garnered positive headlines; Reform is judged by different standards to rival parties. It is now seen as the best party on handling law and order. Farage got lucky with his timing. Yesterday's Daily Mail front page, on his crime campaign, was manna from heaven: 'Britain is facing societal collapse, warns Farage.' His backing of the protests outside an asylum hotel in Epping, Essex – and his dismissal of those arrested as 'a few bad eggs' – might have been attacked by other parties in normal times. But deputy prime minister Angela Rayner made a highly significant intervention at yesterday's cabinet meeting, warning that Britain could face a repeat of the riots almost a year ago unless the government addresses people's concerns, and that immigration is having 'a profound impact on society'. It seemed to validate Farage's warning of 'civil disobedience on a vast scale', and sparking fears of another summer of violence. Downing Street's briefings on cabinet meetings are normally as dry as dust. Its release of the deputy prime minister's remarks tells us that the government does not want to look flat-flooted and not 'in control' if there is more civil unrest this summer. Nor can Labour allow Farage a monopoly on proposals to crack down on illegal migration. Hence today's announcement of a deal between the government and food delivery companies to tackle hotspots of illegal working, sometimes near asylum hotels. 'This is a pull factor for migrants crossing the Channel,' one government insider admitted. On other issues, Reform has been less lucky. It sometimes shoots from the lip without thinking things through. Richard Tice, its deputy leader, sent shockwaves through industry by suggesting the party would scrap renewable energy contracts if it wins power, before half-retreating and saying a Reform government would oppose 'any form of variation' to the contracts. Labour warned that one million jobs would be at risk from Reform's plan. Tice temporarily forgot his party's pitch to the red wall: left on economics and right on social issues. He appeared to translate people's concerns about the cost to them of net zero measures like heat pumps and electric cars into opposition to climate change measures. In fact, a majority of Reform supporters back policies to combat climate change. With Reform consistently ahead in the opinion polls, the business world must take Farage seriously as a future prime minister, but its attempts to engage with his party are proving difficult. Business wants to know about Reform's policies, but the party has no formal policy-making process. As with his pal Donald Trump, policy seems to be whatever Farage thinks when he wakes up in the morning or announces on the hoof. "Policy is what Farage says – everything is decided by him," one business figure told me. 'It's hard to work out what is just another headline and a serious policy.' Farage has started to hold business round-tables. "Everyone gets a bit p***ed, but we don't learn much," another company executive said. How will Reform deliver its pledge to raise the personal tax allowance from £12,570 to £20,000 at a cost of between £50bn and £80bn? We don't know. Will this promise survive a rigorous policy process than the grown-ups in Reform know the party needs? Such fantasy economics, based on deep spending cuts – with Reform sometimes pledging to spend the same billions of savings more than once – are Farage's Achilles heel. That's what other parties should target. "Farage is a vibe," one minister said, 'it's hard to attack a vibe.' But the other parties need to find a way. For now, many voters are not bothered about whether Reform's sums add up. The public will have a free hit at next May's elections to English local authorities, including London and Birmingham, and the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. That is bad news for both Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch, whose leadership will come under pressure if their parties do badly, as they probably will. But voters will care about the detail of Reform's economic pitch when they come to choose a government at the next general election. A vibe will not be enough.

UK watchdog to take action over Apple and Google's mobile platforms
UK watchdog to take action over Apple and Google's mobile platforms

The Guardian

time5 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

UK watchdog to take action over Apple and Google's mobile platforms

The UK competition watchdog has said that it intends to take action to open up Apple and Google's mobile platforms to more competition to benefit consumers, businesses and app developers. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has designated the tech companies as having 'strategic market status' – as they hold an effective duopoly for access on mobile devices – and now intends to force Google and Apple to make changes to their mobile platforms. The regulator said that it has published 'roadmaps' for each of the tech firms and that it will take a 'proportionate, pro-innovation' approach to 'promote competition in digital markets while protecting UK consumers and businesses from unfair or harmful practices'. The CMA said that it will, in the first instance, focus on areas such as the tech companies' app stores – which have been criticised by developers – to ensure a 'fair and transparent' app review process, as well as making sure that smartphone users can 'steer' away from app stores to make purchases. Other areas of focus include addressing restrictions Apple imposes on digital wallets to ensure that competing financial technology firms can compete. 'Apple and Google's mobile platforms are both critical to the UK economy – playing an important role in all our lives, from banking and shopping to entertainment and education,' said Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA. 'But our investigation so far has identified opportunities for more innovation and choice. Time is of the essence: as competition agencies and courts globally take action in these markets, it's essential the UK doesn't fall behind.' The UK competition watchdog announced its investigations into Apple and Google's mobile platforms in January. The investigation examined the tech firms' mobile operating systems, app stores and browsers to determine whether both companies required tailor-made guidelines to regulate their behaviour. At its launch, the CMA said that virtually all smartphones sold in the UK were pre-installed with Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems, while their app stores and browsers had privileged positions on their platforms compared with third-party products and services. Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome dominate the mobile browser market on iPhones and Android devices, respectively. The CMA investigation was launched days after the appointment of Doug Gurr, the former country manager of Amazon UK, as its new chair. The government, which has pushed for a shake-up of regulation to help kickstart UK growth, was forced to deny it was 'in the pocket of big tech' after the appointment. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Tech firms, publishers and the consumer watchdog Which? subsequently wrote to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, raising concerns that Gurr's appointment posed a threat to the independence of the CMA. Gurr has said he will make the CMA's investigations into mergers and takeovers 'simple and rapid' and Cardell of the CMA said in February that a change of strategic direction was needed. Two years ago Microsoft heavily publicly criticised the CMA after it initially blocked the firm's planned takeover of the gaming firm Activision Blizzard. Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, said that the UK was 'bad for business', although the deal was eventually given the green light.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store