The UK government is expected to introduce a cap on student numbers for universities, to prevent institutions from over-recruiting to make more money from tuition fees.
With many universities suffering financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there are fears institutions would otherwise recruit aggressively - leading to over-packed campuses and student accommodation.
The cap will also prevent the most prestigious universities in the UK from recruiting as many domestic students as possible.
Will you be affected?
If a cap is implemented by the government, university applicants might not be guaranteed a place at university – regardless of whether they have an offer already. This will apply to both domestic and international students.
Even an unconditional offer may be retracted. Some universities have begun offering unconditional offers to boost their recruitment numbers and convince students to choose their institution, but a cap would likely cause universities to reassess this decision.
Although vice-chancellors have expressed concerns about international recruitment, a QS survey found that over 90 percent of international students indicating a desire to study in the UK were still planning to do so - although some may defer their application.
There is good news for UK students, however, as a demographic quirk means there are fewer school leavers this year, therefore reducing the competition for places. If a large number of international applicants defer their application, this reduces the competition even further. International students who decide not to defer will also benefit from this.
Whether clearing will function as normal for UK students is yet to be determined.
Why a cap?
Officials feel a policy response has to be implemented during the coronavirus crisis, to protect the future of the university sector in the UK.
However, some university leaders oppose the idea of a cap to university admissions, stating there is no initial rush to impose the policy. Due to the uncertainties surrounding the development of the coronavirus crisis, academic leaders fighting the cap policy have said admission decisions can wait until July.
Niamh is Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.
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UK Government to Cap University Admissions: Will You Be Affected?
By Niamh O
Updated April 5, 2021 Updated April 5, 2021The UK government is expected to introduce a cap on student numbers for universities, to prevent institutions from over-recruiting to make more money from tuition fees.
With many universities suffering financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there are fears institutions would otherwise recruit aggressively - leading to over-packed campuses and student accommodation.
The cap will also prevent the most prestigious universities in the UK from recruiting as many domestic students as possible.
Will you be affected?
If a cap is implemented by the government, university applicants might not be guaranteed a place at university – regardless of whether they have an offer already. This will apply to both domestic and international students.
Even an unconditional offer may be retracted. Some universities have begun offering unconditional offers to boost their recruitment numbers and convince students to choose their institution, but a cap would likely cause universities to reassess this decision.
Although vice-chancellors have expressed concerns about international recruitment, a QS survey found that over 90 percent of international students indicating a desire to study in the UK were still planning to do so - although some may defer their application.
There is good news for UK students, however, as a demographic quirk means there are fewer school leavers this year, therefore reducing the competition for places. If a large number of international applicants defer their application, this reduces the competition even further. International students who decide not to defer will also benefit from this.
Whether clearing will function as normal for UK students is yet to be determined.
Why a cap?
Officials feel a policy response has to be implemented during the coronavirus crisis, to protect the future of the university sector in the UK.
However, some university leaders oppose the idea of a cap to university admissions, stating there is no initial rush to impose the policy. Due to the uncertainties surrounding the development of the coronavirus crisis, academic leaders fighting the cap policy have said admission decisions can wait until July.
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This article was originally published in March 2020 . It was last updated in April 2021
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Niamh is Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.
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