Latest news with #18yearolds
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Why did so many teens get into their first choice uni this year?
A record number of 18-year-olds woke up on Thursday morning to find they had got into their first choice of university. More than 226,000 were accepted by their "firm" choice - 82% of all 18-year-olds with offers. Those who didn't get a place, or wanted to switch, have had to keep cool heads amid cash incentives and offers of free accommodation from universities in the Clearing has been, as admissions experts had predicted, a "really, really good year" to be a teenager from the UK hoping to start a underpinning the excitement is a financial backdrop that has set alarm bells ringing for universities' admissions teams - and what's happened this week could have knock-on effects later down the line. Undergraduate tuition fees have risen to £9,535 in England and Wales this year, after universities argued that fees haven't kept up with have become increasingly reliant on higher fees from international students in recent years to make up for the financial shortfall. But those numbers have declined, in part because of changes to visa result is that more than four in 10 universities are thought to be in deficit. Courses are being closed and buildings are being sold off. Dr Jo Saxton, the chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates this year - even if they missed their grades - because they offered financial "stability" at a time of "uncertainty" around international student prediction has come true. The number of 18-year-olds accepted by their first choice of university is far higher than it was before the pandemic. It's higher even than it was in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and A-level results were based on teachers' assessments, leading to a surge in top grades and students getting into university. There are other factors at play. A-level results were up again this year, with 28.3% of all grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland marked at A* or Year 13s had their GCSE grades brought down as part of an effort to tackle grade inflation in 2023, so fewer met the mark to start A-level courses. The head of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said they were a "smaller" but "stronger" cohort as a are also more 18-year-olds in the population this year, which is why even though the proportion getting into their first choice of university has stayed the same, the actual number has grown. But still, the financial picture is important. It could help explain why more academically selective universities - described as "higher tariff" by Ucas - have enrolled more students this year and offered many courses through Clearing. Tim Bradshaw, the chief executive of the prestigious Russell Group, said on Thursday that "many of our universities have courses available in Clearing" and that admissions teams were "ready to help students find the course that is right for them".With more students off to Russell Group and other highly selective universities next month, there's a smaller pool for the rest to recruit from - and that could have a knock-on impact on their have been offering students incentives to apply through University, for example, has advertised £2,000 off accommodation for animation, games programming and visual effects students, while Goldsmiths is offering 100 accommodation bursaries worth £1, who sign up for "VIP" Clearing at the University of Gloucestershire have the chance to win a year of free accommodation - as advertised in a series of TikTok Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, which represents more professional and technical universities, including Teesside, called Clearing an "amazing opportunity to find new opportunities and pathways". And universities' offers could sway teenagers who are in two minds about whether or not to Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, said the increase in university applications this year "confirms that people rightly recognise the value of going to university, and it is particularly positive that we have seen an increase in students going to university from the least advantaged backgrounds".However, most 18-year-olds don't apply to university. This year, 41.2% of 18-year-olds had submitted an application through Ucas by June - down from 41.9% last year and a high of 43.6% in choose other options like apprenticeships or going straight into work cost of living can play into the decision-making process and is shifting the student experience. Recent research suggests that 68% of full-time undergraduates had paid jobs during term time - up from 45% in 2022. This year, maintenance loans have also risen to help with everyday eyes will be on the Department for Education's higher education reforms, which are due to be set out later this year. In the meantime, universities will be keen to make sure that students continue to come through their doors.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Students accepted on UK degree courses reaches record high
The number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen to a record high year, Ucas figures show. A total of 439,180 applicants have gained a place at university or college – up 3.1% on the same point last year, according to data published by the university admissions service. Ucas said it is the highest number of placed students on results day on record. Overall, 82% of UK 18-year-old applicants awaiting a decision on results day secured their first choice – which was the same proportion as last year. For 18-year-olds in the UK, 255,130 applicants have been accepted onto a university or college course – up 4.7% on last year. The number of international students who have been accepted on to undergraduate courses has risen by 2.9% – from 51,170 last year to 52,640. Accepted applicants from China (12,380) are up 13% compared with last year. Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said: 'This year's students were just thirteen when the pandemic hit, and their secondary schooling was turned upside down. 'It's great to see these applicants securing a university place in record numbers, seeking more education and investing in their futures. 'I am equally delighted to see how universities across the country have responded to their ambition. 'For any student who didn't quite get the grades they were hoping for, or even those still yet to apply, there are plenty of options in clearing with around 27,000 available courses. 'Ucas experts are also available on the phones, on social media and on the Ucas website, to help all those deciding on the next step that's right for them.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Students accepted on UK degree courses reaches record high
The number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen to a record high year, Ucas figures show. A total of 439,180 applicants have gained a place at university or college – up 3.1% on the same point last year, according to data published by the university admissions service. Ucas said it is the highest number of placed students on results day on record. Overall, 82% of UK 18-year-old applicants awaiting a decision on results day secured their first choice – which was the same proportion as last year. For 18-year-olds in the UK, 255,130 applicants have been accepted onto a university or college course – up 4.7% on last year. The number of international students who have been accepted on to undergraduate courses has risen by 2.9% – from 51,170 last year to 52,640. Accepted applicants from China (12,380) are up 13% compared with last year. Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said: 'This year's students were just thirteen when the pandemic hit, and their secondary schooling was turned upside down. 'It's great to see these applicants securing a university place in record numbers, seeking more education and investing in their futures. 'I am equally delighted to see how universities across the country have responded to their ambition. 'For any student who didn't quite get the grades they were hoping for, or even those still yet to apply, there are plenty of options in clearing with around 27,000 available courses. 'Ucas experts are also available on the phones, on social media and on the Ucas website, to help all those deciding on the next step that's right for them.'
CBS News
09-06-2025
- CBS News
2 charged in shots fired incident outside Burnsville High School
Two 18-year-old men face felony charges for their alleged involvement in an attempted shooting outside Burnsville High School after a graduation ceremony. Police were already at the school Friday night for "security and crowd control," a criminal complaint said, when two groups began "arguing and flashing gang signs towards each other." Around 8:30 p.m., police heard gunshots near the high school and went to investigate. Bystanders pointed officers to a nearby vehicle, inside of which were the two men now charged. Inside the car, police found a handgun with an extended magazine and a bullet casing, the complaint states. Two more bullet casings were found on the street nearby, and a vehicle in the area had a bullet in one of its headlights. Witnesses said one of the men charged was driving the car when someone in a leopard print jacket approached the passenger side and talked with the occupants. When the person in the jacket tried to punch the car, witnesses said, someone pointed a gun out of the passenger's side window and started shooting. No one was hurt, police said. Both men charged denied firing the gun, but according to the complaint, a nickname used by someone at the scene identified one of the men as the shooter. Both men are charged with two counts of drive-by shooting, a criminal complaint shows. One also faces a second-degree assault charge, and the other is charged with two additional counts of aiding an offender. Four people in total were arrested after the incident, which prompted a large law enforcement response. Note: The video above originally aired June 7, 2025.
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tax Evasion or Student Debt? The US Chose the Wrong Crackdown
The federal government restarted forced collections this week on student loans in default. Thus comes to an end a five-year experiment, started during the pandemic, to pause loan payments — and a squandered opportunity to reconsider the government's role as a lender in postsecondary education. After all, questions continue to swirl around both college and debt: Do 18-year-olds understand the financial risks they are taking on? Does tuition reflect the services provided? In short, is college still worth the investment?
