Universities competing for the best students with incentives

Image credit: vFrosteryd

In an attempt to fill university places this term, institutions across the country are offering cash incentives, laptops and iPads to attract prospective students.

University admission rules across the country have been affected by government reforms, which scrap the limit on how many students with AAB grades and above that each university can accept. As a result, it is possible for institutions to recruit unrestricted numbers of students.

The reform particularly effects lower-ranking institutions, due to leading universities obtaining higher quantities of students. Reportedly, at least sixty middle and lower ranking universities in England (according to The Sunday Times league table) have started to work on attracting students through more innovative initiatives.

Goldsmiths College has one of the more generous incentives, offering course fee waivers to the ten highest-scoring students from Lewisham, saving each student £27,000 in tuition fees. Incentives are also being offered to students with lower grades; the Newman University of Birmingham is offering a £10,000 grant to students with a minimum of BBB on some courses.

Many of the offered packages include additional non-cash incentives. Surrey University will give a free membership to Surrey Sports Park health centre alongside £3,000 to successful applicants with A level grades of A*AA or higher. Newcastle offer to all AAB students £2,000 per year and a laptop.

But despite The University of Exeter recruiting 600 extra students this year, a University spokesperson revealed that no such offers were made to prospective students. “Applications are at a record level and no incentives were needed for 2013 entrees,” they said.

Dannee McGuire, News Team

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University leaps up rankings

Exeter in the limelight: the guide compiles the scores of all major rankings to provide an average.
Image credits: exeter.ac.uk

The University of Exeter has reached the top ten of a major rankings table for the first time.

The Complete University Guide 2014 shows that Exeter has moved up three places to 10th in its annual league table. The improvement is mainly due to an increase in student satisfaction and graduate prospects in the past year. The University also received praise for its environmental impact and accommodation. There has been little change in the rest of the top ten with Cambridge, Oxford and the LSE leading the way.

Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter said: “This is excellent news and means that we are ranked in the top 10 in all the major domestic league tables. We have had a fantastic year as we have been named The Sunday Times University of the year, completed our £380 million investment programme and seen our Undergraduate applications for next year rise by 36 per cent.”

Guild President Nick Davies said: “It is fantastic to have risen up to 10th in the Complete University Guide. Working closely with the University, the Students’ Guild has driven the agenda to ensure that students get the best possible experience while studying at Exeter. For example, in the last year we have campaigned for lower student to staff ratios, improved employability and been recognised as the most environmentally friendly student union in the country.”

 Simon Dewhurst, News Team

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