- The DfE is cracking down on poor-quality university courses to ensure value for money.
- The Russell Group supports a national minimum entry standard in principle to protect investments.
- Russell Group CEO Libby Hackett urged flexibility for mature and underrepresented students.
- The proposed standard is being compared within Whitehall to an English language requirement.
- The policy would function as a de facto admissions standard by restricting access to student finance.
The Department for Education (DfE) said it would not comment on speculation. But a spokesperson added: “We are restoring our world-class universities as engines of opportunity, aspiration and growth. That is why we are cracking down on poor-quality courses so that students can be confident they’re getting value for money from university degrees.”
Libby Hackett, the chief executive of the Russell Group of leading research universities, called for the government to work with the higher education sector over how minimum entry requirements could be applied, to avoid punishing groups such as mature students.
Hackett said: “In principle, we support a national minimum entry standard to higher education. Typically, there are minimum entry requirements in place to study A-levels, apprenticeships, many further education courses and most university courses. With significant levels of graduate contribution alongside public subsidies [of student loans], minimum entry thresholds can act as an important safeguard to protect student interests and taxpayer investment.
“Crucial to any ongoing discussion will be balancing this with appropriate flexibility for trusted institutions, so they can determine equivalent entry routes for mature students and those from underrepresented backgrounds.”
The proposal has been pitched within Whitehall as an English language requirement, similar to those required for international students. But it would also serve as a de facto admissions standard by cutting off access to finance.
