How universities put pressure on students to accept degree places

Applying to university can be a nerve-racking time for sixth-formers who don’t yet have their A-level results. For many, choosing which offer to accept is the most important decision they have had to make.

And now students are increasingly being promised a range of incentives during the process – including financial benefits and unconditional offers – but only if they make the university their first choice.

Some youngsters will jump at the chance at accepting a place at a university that requires lower exam grades than expected (or in some cases none at all) to take the edge off the wait for their A-level results.

Others are likely to be attracted to incentivised offers that could see their student debt burden reduced – or could help them to guarantee a place in high-quality student accommodation.

But ministers and school leaders have warned that using “unethical” selling tactics can back students into a corner and lead to the wrong decisions being made, and they can also harm students’ grades.

So why, despite these warnings, are these controversial “strings-attached” unconditional offers during the admissions process becoming more common?

Competition between institutions to recruit students, who pay up to £9,250 a year, has intensified as there are fewer 18-year-olds in the population and yet student numbers at universities are uncapped.

A number of institutions are struggling to fill their courses and generate enough income to be sustainable. Some universities are reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy amid dropping student numbers – and institutions are concerned this will get worse amid Brexit and proposals to slash tuition fees.

Universities across the UK that are uncertain about how many of their courses will be filled are increasing incentives to sixth-formers to ensure they can recruit as many students as possible.

But the recruitment strategy of only awarding these benefits to students if they make the university their first choice is likely to have a negative impact on students’ choices or outcomes.

However, students are becoming more savvy to the practices being used by universities. The Ucas figures show that fewer students are opting to take up a “conditional unconditional” offer than in the past.

It is important to remember, however, that the most disadvantaged students are the most likely to get drawn in by these recruitment tactics. They often have less access to support from their family or school during the application process and they could be more susceptible to attractive financial incentives.

Both Universities UK and the higher education regulator, the Office for Students, are conducting a review into the admissions system, which will hopefully address some of the concerns. But ultimately the new Ucas figures show it is going to take more than a slap on the wrist from ministers to overhaul the system.