Over the past few weeks, I’ve been struck by the growing misconception that universities are prioritising one group of students at the expense of another.
Every day in the media there are new headlines about international students “taking” places from UK students to boost university finances. Or students from disadvantaged backgrounds squeezing out other UK students just to tick a box.
I understand where these fears are coming from, of course. Up and down the country today there are parents and students who have been waiting anxiously for the results that will decide their next step. And for many this year, those results were not what they’d hoped for as we see a return to the 2019 grade boundaries.
It’s also true that universities set targets and have quotas and, like any business, finances play a part in this decision making. The financial precarity of the sector is no secret and international fees are one of the key sources of income that allows us to be the institutions we aspire to be.
