Britain ought to welcome worldwide college students who wish to research right here – Ucas boss
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ritain ought to welcome worldwide college students who wish to take undergraduate levels within the UK, the pinnacle of the upper schooling admissions service has mentioned.
Clare Marchant, chief govt of Ucas, mentioned round 13% of positioned candidates are abroad college students and he or she doesn’t count on that proportion “to change hugely” on A-level outcomes day on Thursday.
Her feedback come amid warnings that British college students may lose out to worldwide candidates within the competitors for locations at high universities this summer season.
During a webinar hosted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) assume tank, Ms Marchant mentioned: “We need to be welcoming to those undergraduate international students who want to come and study here.”
We know it’s completely pivotal to range at establishments and on programs
She added: “You’re competing in a global market so actually just keeping an eye on market share versus Australia, Canada and the US.”
In England, college tuition charges for undergraduate college students from the UK are capped at £9,250 a 12 months.
But universities can cost abroad college students considerably increased tuition charges.
Last 12 months, the general entry charge for UK 18-year-olds was 37.5%.
She added: “Certainly we see around 13% of placed students are international students. We know it is absolutely pivotal to diversity at institutions and on courses. And broadly that percentage we don’t expect to change hugely come Thursday or the end of the cycle in October either.”
When requested whether or not extra universities are solely opening programs in clearing to worldwide college students this 12 months reasonably than home college students, Ms Marchant mentioned: “It is broadly consistent with previous years.”
She added: “I think that the proof in the pudding in terms of competition probably will come on Thursday afternoon as some of those courses are taken out of clearing as they get filled up.”
It’s very straightforward, I believe, to over-predict however we have to be giving information to varsities and faculties to get as correct as doable round that
In a press release issued after the webinar, Ms Marchant mentioned: “We’re aware that we are competing in a global market where students are also attracted by study in countries such as Australia, Canada and the US.”
The cohort of scholars who’re at present awaiting their A-level outcomes didn’t take GCSE exams and have been awarded outcomes decided by their lecturers in 2021 – which was a document 12 months for high grades.
In England, Ofqual has mentioned this 12 months’s nationwide A-level outcomes will likely be decrease than final 12 months however they’re anticipated to be just like these earlier than the pandemic.
Speaking throughout the webinar on Monday, Ms Marchant mentioned she had “sympathy” for this 12 months’s cohort.
She mentioned: “These are individuals who haven’t gone through an external exam before so of course there is going to be a level of anxiety when it comes to Thursday.”
In the week that college students throughout England, Northern Ireland and Wales discover out their outcomes, the Ucas chief mentioned it’s “very easy” to over-predict grades.
Ms Marchant mentioned: “We’re looking into how we can help schools and colleges just in terms of understanding how accurate they are with predicted grades.
“Because just looking at those year on year and how accurate they can be is something that I think we at Ucas, but the sector at large, need to keep an eye on.
“It’s very easy, I think, to over-predict but we need to be giving data to schools and colleges to get as accurate as possible around that.”