Faster progress needed on fair access at highly selective universities- OFFA

The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has today [Thursday 26 February] published its new strategic plan, setting out how it will work with universities and colleges to improve fair access to higher education. The plan, which covers the period 2015-2020, sets out ambitious objectives for improving the rates of disadvantaged students entering and succeeding in higher education, and seeks to close the participation gap between the most and least advantaged. As well as seeking progress across the sector, OFFA has made an increase in the rates of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering universities with the highest entrance requirements a specific strategic aim. Currently, young people from the most advantaged backgrounds are 6.8 times more likely to enter highly selective universities than those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Read More