Tuition fee hike will make Oxbridge elite preserve

Students will face increasingly intense competition for places at Oxbridge and other top universities after the introduction of higher tuition fees, Caroline Jordan, headmistress of Headington School, has warned. “Some courses at highly selective universities are already setting minimum offers demanding multiple A* grades at A-level”.

She urged parents them not to rule out sending their children to study abroad or taking up industry sponsorship in light of the effects of the changes. Two thirds of universities have already signalled that they intend to charge the maximum £9,000-a-year fee when it comes into effect next year. Opponents of the plan have warned that graduates will be left with tens of thousands of pounds of debts, potentially students from poorer backgrounds from applying.

In an address to parents of GCSE pupils preparing to make A-level choices at Headington School, Mrs Jordan said students would need to take the effect of the changes seriously before applying. She said: “We are very likely to see a smaller pool of national applicants concentrate on the more prestigious universities, ie the ones where it appears that £9,000 is better value for money. So rather than it being easier to get into the universities of choice, it could become increasingly difficult.”

The introduction of A* grades at A-level last year had also had a profound impact on the race for places at top universities, she added.
At least a fifth of final year girls at the school had already university received offers requiring at least one A* grade while some of the more competitive courses are asking for minimum grades of A*A*A.

Click here to read the full story (The Telegraph 7/12/11)…

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