Expansion of University Places has Increased Opportunity
The university think tank million+ has welcomed the news, based on figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), of an increase in the percentage of students at university from state schools and low participation neighbourhoods. Professor Les Ebdon, Chair of million+ and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, said: “These figures confirm the clear link between an expansion of funded places and widening participation. The last decade has seen record numbers of students funded to study at university. Modern universities have played a critical role in delivering the social mobility which has accompanied this expansion. These universities consistently teach and support three or four times more students from disadvantaged backgrounds compared to other institutions …