Fall in state-school university entrants since tuition fees hit £9,000

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says government ‘slamming the doors’ on talented students on low incomes. The government is facing calls for an urgent review of student financing after official figures showed that the number of state school pupils going on to higher education had dropped the year tuition fees soared to £9,000. A report by the Department for Education showed that the percentage of state-educated pupils going on to universities and colleges in 2013/14 fell to 62%, from 66% in the previous year. They say the cost of university, which often also includes high rent, has become prohibitively expensive for children from low to middle income households. Student maintenance grants for students on low incomes were axed this week and replaced by loans. Read More.