Students would apply to university after getting their results,
under proposals in a report from the University and
College Union (UCU) published today (Monday).
Post qualification application: a student-centred model for
higher education admissions in England, Northern Ireland and
Wales details how the admissions system could be
overhauled after recent criticisms over the
explosion in unconditional offers.
Under the plans, students would apply to university once their
results were known, and start the first year of their higher
education course in November. UCU said transforming the
admissions process would be fairer for students, bring the UK
into line with the rest of the world and eliminate the use of
unconditional offers and the chaotic clearing process.
Almost a quarter of
students applying to university received at least one
unconditional offer in 2018, compared to just 1% five years ago.
Yet as few as one in six (16%) A-level
grades are predicted correctly. No other
countries use predicted grades to award university
places, and seven in ten staff
involved in university admissions back the move to
post-qualification application (PQA).
Co-authored by Professor Graeme Atherton of the National
Education Opportunities Network (NEON) and UCU’s Angela Nartey,
the report also looks at how to improve advice for students when
it comes to deciding what to study and calls on the
government to commission an independent review of university
admissions.
UCU head of policy, Matt Waddup, said: ‘There is growing support
for a shift to a system where students apply to university after
they have received their results. This report sets out how that
could work in practice. Such a move would not only be fairer for
students, it would bring the UK into line with the rest of the
world and eliminate the use of controversial unconditional offers
and the chaotic clearing process.
‘The current admissions process based on predicted grades is
failing students and needs an urgent overhaul. The time has come
for the government to grasp the nettle on this issue and
commission an independent review of higher education admissions
to take forward the agenda.’
