The Guardian has reported on new figures published by UCAS which have revealed a narrowing gap between the rich and poor going to university and a widening gap between males and females.
In England alone 100,000 more women than men have applied to go to university this year. It is thought that men are 36% less likely to apply to university than women. This gap has continued to widen since the 1900s.
As for the affluence of people applying to university, it appears that a record number of 18 year olds from low income households have applied to university this year, up 2% from last year.
18 year olds from low income households now account for 21% of applicants, narrowing the higher education gap between rich and poor.
What’s more, the total number of people applying to university has seen an overall increase from this time last year of 2%.
Mary Curnock Cook, Chief Executive of UCAS commented, “Demand for UK higher education, notably from younger people and from EU countries, has continued to rise in 2015. It is heartening to see the gap between rich and poor continue to narrow.
“Nevertheless, demand has grown more slowly this year and has fallen for mature students. This perhaps reflects improved employment prospects in the UK.”
Business secretary, Vince Cable said, “There were many who said the reform of student finance would discourage young people from going to university. The opposite has occurred; numbers have grown, in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Our reforms now also mean universities are well funded for the future. At the same time, we have expanded vocational training, particularly apprenticeships, which have reached two million. This is a record to be celebrated.”
Link to article: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/30/low-income-students-likely-apply-university-ucas
