Commenting on the publication this morning of the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s widening participation and non-continuation performance indicators for 2011-12, the Director of Fair Access, Professor Les Ebdon, said:
“Today’s figures show a continued gradual improvement across all the indicators, reflecting the significant and sustained work across the sector to widen access to higher education. Clearly there is still much to do, but this trend is one to be welcomed.
“I am also pleased by the improvement in the numbers of students continuing their studies after the first year. OFFA is placing an increased emphasis on work by universities and colleges to help students successfully complete their studies and progress to employment. It’s therefore encouraging to see that rates of retention are already moving in the right direction.
“Today’s figures are the last that measure the diversity of the cohort under the old student finance system. I will be particularly interested to see these statistics next year, when they will look at the make-up of the first cohort under the new system with fees of up to £9,000. Initial indications from UCAS are positive, and suggest that we will continue to see growth in the proportions of students from under-represented groups.”
ENDS
For further information, contact Zita Adamson, OFFA Communications Manager (0117 931 7272) or Sean Beynon, OFFA Press and Communications Adviser (0117 931 7022), or email press@offa.org.uk.
Notes to editors
- The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) is an independent, non-departmental public body established under the Higher Education Act 2004 to help promote and safeguard fair access to higher education. The main way we do this is by approving and monitoring ‘access agreements’. All English universities and colleges offering both full-time and part-time undergraduate higher education courses must have an access agreement with us in order to charge higher fees. Access agreements set out the fees an institution wishes to charge and the access measures they will put in place to sustain or improve access and student retention. Access measures include outreach (e.g. summer schools, mentoring, after-school tuition, links with schools and colleges in disadvantaged areas and activities to improve retention and success), and financial support such as bursaries and scholarships.
- For more about OFFA, please see our website www.offa.org.uk, particularly the Quick Facts and FAQ in the Press section.
- Full information on today’s publication.
- Higher education institutions use HESA performance indicators to help them assess their access performance. More information on what is measured, and how it helps universities and colleges to assess their performance.