University admissions

Three national universities cleared to exceed limits by up to 5 per cent as Tokyo pushes to compete for global talent

Taith being wound down as UK prepares to rejoin Erasmus but academics say nation has benefitted hugely from having own programme

Risk of fraud ‘not evenly distributed’, with those pushing fake certificates and embellished grades finding new ways to mask wrongdoing

Admissions service considers reducing number of institutions to which students can apply, or doing away with ‘insurance’ choice, but wants more digital, post-results process first

London institutions urged to work together as they double down on widening participation efforts that help serve pipeline for ‘frontier’ jobs

‘Flexibility’ on testing in UK system ‘may worry government’ after review finds large variety of methods used to examine language skills

Head of UK’s flagship distance learning institution warns online provision alone doesn’t guarantee equal access to higher education

Universities, states and lenders all need to step up when limits on lending from federal sources are implemented in July, says Josh Farris

Calls for more support for people with experience of prison to access higher education as experts warn programmes being hampered by staff shortages

Ucas January data show specialist institutions losing out as higher tariffs continue to grow, with proportion of ‘commuter students’ reaching nearly half

University to adopt tests used by other leading institutions, spelling end to complex system of internally administered exams

Half of Russell Group universities accept record number of undergraduates, according to end-of-cycle admissions figures

Experts say introduction of compulsory test for all undergraduate courses shows country’s shifting approach to internationalisation

Big cut in enrolments seen as way of modernising country’s universities but some warn further changes are needed to stop students lingering for years

Some institutions revisit gender-related policies against backdrop of legal and political developments

More than 9,000 results revoked after Pearson found students had been getting others to pass tests for them

Admissions chief fears rising number of commuter students could limit access to courses for those from poorest backgrounds

Restrictions on international intake and decline in domestic school-leavers see undergraduate enrolments shrink

There have been more winners than losers since domestic student recruitment was uncapped in England. But without better stewardship, all institutions must do what they can to swing the market in their favour, regardless of national priorities or local needs, say David Maguire and Alex Bols

Cross-party committee calls for higher household income threshold for maximum student support loans as more struggle to afford university

First post-Covid increase in early undergraduate applications among mature students shows adults are rethinking their options in times of economic crisis

Many universities already factor school violence records into admissions ahead of nationwide roll-out but scholars fear move reinforces inequalities

Link between higher education and higher earnings weakens across many OECD countries, showing need to strengthen alternative options

Allocation of 9,500 extra places will boost capacity in a system where demand can be fickle

Focus on traditional subjects at GCSE level has not helped pupils get into top universities, says Becky Francis’ report on school curriculum

Increase in applicants across almost all age groups raises hopes for bumper year of admissions, as interest in medical degrees recovers

Test scores are a much better predictor of academic progress than school grades – and students need a realistic assessment, says David Blobaum 

Most prospective students have at least three countries in the frame, survey finds

Future crises can be averted if government and universities share data and plans in a more timely and transparent fashion, says Doug Specht

WhatsApp a winner, ‘mystery shopping’ study reveals, as universities ‘sharpen their interactions’ with would-be students

PQA has been repeatedly rejected in recent decades, but with this year seeing another record number of students placed via the clearing system, is it being adopted by default? And would a wholesale switch address equity concerns or lower-tariff institutions’ recruitment woes? Juliette Rowsell reports

Mass departure of students from top institutions in favour of medical degrees stokes concerns about future talent pipelines in other subjects

Some ‘scholarships’ advertised by UK universities contingent on grades or ‘ambassadorial duties’, with others applied automatically to all

Financial strains and the emergence of digital testing have led to concerns that anglophone universities are admitting students whose English is not good enough to allow them to succeed. But are tests really becoming less rigorous – or are universities setting pass rates that are too low? Helen Packer reports 

International students feel marketisation has brought easier admissions but lower teaching standards at prestigious British universities, finds new study

Some institutions report ‘steep decline’ in activity since results day as intakes lag below expectations

Trump transparency drive strips complex decisions of their context, scholars warn, amid fears directive will hit minority student numbers

Six US institutions adopt online module that promises to assess civil discourse of potential students but scholars sceptical it will improve campus debate

Number of students placed on courses on day one the highest since records began, with direct to clearing route also seeing unprecedented interest

Record number of applicants brings temporary relief to under-pressure institutions, but issues of ‘systematic underfunding’ remain

Rising demand from 18-year-old applicants drives up entry rate, with two-fifths of cohort set to enter most selective institutions

Universities turn to advertising, freebies and unconditional offers to attract students, with large numbers expected to change their mind post-results

Proportion of young people planning to attend university full-time has fallen to just over half, survey suggests

Pass rate in Scottish Higher exams nudges up but overall applications dip slightly owing to decline in older learners

Enrolments drop by a fifth in a year after business school opts to close programmes in response to government squeeze on undergraduate intake

Universities encouraged to offer language degrees to students with no prior experience as low uptake in schools creates pipeline problems

Number of 18-year-olds applying to university reaches new high but anticipated drop in top A-level grades adds to uncertainty ahead of clearing period

Students who have previously been safeguarded progress to university in ‘vanishingly low’ numbers, highlights Sheffield initiative

Current enrolment rates are increasingly misaligned with NHS capacity for clinical placements, never mind graduate recruitment, says Ruth Pearce

Using money raised from international fees could help support most disadvantaged to attend university, finds inquiry

Record number of ethnic minority students accepted and largest annual increase in non-state school students in 15 years

More students accepted into prestigious university, but numbers coming from maintained schools return to 2020 levels after ‘period of rapid growth’

Lower-tariff institutions could face another difficult recruitment season as number of offers made by universities rises

Solutions begin with flexible study policies for students who need a few extra days because mum had a health scare before their essay deadline, says Holly Cobb

Research intensive universities to adopt ‘consistent’ language to help applicants ‘make better informed decisions’ as part of new plan to tackle education inequality

Attempt to harmonise tests across country seen as way of mitigating unfair advantages but critics argue more systemic changes are needed

We need careful, systematic overhaul and the taking of responsibility not just by universities but also by local and national government, says Ellen Wright

Doncaster focus groups find widespread scepticism that cost of a degree will be outweighed by career benefits

Current widening participation approach not working, say academics, as rural villages and coastal towns revealed as areas with lowest levels of progression to universities

Those admitted to elite UK universities with lower entry requirements still performed well academically, analysis suggests