Universities Scotland

Figures published today (Wednesday 30 January) by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that the number of applicants to Scotland's universities by the 15 January deadline is up for home, rest of UK (RUK) and international students.

The applicant figures to Scottish universities show: 

• The number of Scottish domiciled applicants is up 2.1%, from 38,559 in 2012 to 39,358 in 2013.
• The number of rest of UK domiciled applicants is up significantly by 16.6%, from 30,485 in 2012 to 34,951 in 2013.
• The number of non-EU international applicants is up by 6.9% in 2013 compared to 2012 and the number of other EU international applicants is up by 5.1% in 2013 compared to 2012.

 
Commenting on the headline figures, Universities Scotland's Director, Alastair Sim said:

"Today's UCAS figures show that the offer of a quality Scottish higher education from Scotland's universities continues to be seen as an attractive and sound investment from students across the UK and internationally.

"As Scotland's universities look to deliver on their collective commitment to widening access we are pleased to see an increase in home applicants. The UCAS analysis also shows the substantial progress made on widening access in recent years with 18-year-olds from Scotland's most disadvantaged areas around 80% more likely to apply than in 2004.

"We are also pleased to see students from the rest of the UK vote with their feet to apply to Scottish institutions, which have some of the best bursary and student support schemes in the UK to help with the cost of their study.

"The continued period of global economic uncertainty has concentrated people's minds on making the right investment in their higher education. Prospective students know that graduates from Scotland's universities have the highest rate of positive destinations of work or further study in the UK at 88.5% within 6 months of graduation, as well as the best average starting salaries in the UK and the lowest levels of unemployment."

Universities Scotland today [Tuesday, 18 December] welcomed the creation of 1,700 extra undergraduate places at university as a significant boost to widening access.

The places, which have been created specifically to support widening access, have been created to encourage a wider diversity of applicant to university and will be available for entrants in autumn 2013.

The cost of funding these places, estimated at £10 million, has been met from within existing university budgets for academic year 2013/14. The funding has come from within universities main teaching grant and re-investment of the public funding saved as a result of the introduction of restof-UK fees.

Professor Pete Downes, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of the University of Dundee said:

"The creation of 1,700 extra places focussed on widening access is great news for potential students and great news for universities.

"Widening access is a complex challenge without many easy answers. One of very few straightforward barriers to greater progress has been the fact that universities have had to do what they can to create wider opportunities within a fixed number of places, and at a time when demand from very well qualified applicants for a place at university far outstrips supply. The extra places, announced today, are a very welcome means of alleviating some of the pressure on places and should give bright applicants from less traditional backgrounds and routes of entry the opportunity to demonstrate their potential to gain from study at university." 

Universities Scotland today [Tuesday, 18 December] welcomed the creation of 1,700 extra undergraduate places at university as a significant boost to widening access.

The places, which have been created specifically to support widening access, have been created to encourage a wider diversity of applicant to university and will be available for entrants in autumn 2013.

The cost of funding these places, estimated at £10 million, has been met from within existing university budgets for academic year 2013/14. The funding has come from within universities main teaching grant and re-investment of the public funding saved as a result of the introduction of restof-UK fees.

Professor Pete Downes, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of the University of Dundee said:

"The creation of 1,700 extra places focussed on widening access is great news for potential students and great news for universities.

"Widening access is a complex challenge without many easy answers. One of very few straightforward barriers to greater progress has been the fact that universities have had to do what they can to create wider opportunities within a fixed number of places, and at a time when demand from very well qualified applicants for a place at university far outstrips supply. The extra places, announced today, are a very welcome means of alleviating some of the pressure on places and should give bright applicants from less traditional backgrounds and routes of entry the opportunity to demonstrate their potential to gain from study at university." 

Universities Scotland has expressed its concerns over the announcement made by the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP in a speech delivered today (Wednesday, 12 December) that the UK Government intends to radically extend the UK Border Agency's interview programme for international students coming to study in the UK.

Universities Scotland's Director, Alastair Sim said:

"We welcome the Minister's reassurance that the UK Government has no plans to introduce a cap on international students as part of immigration control. We welcome her words that the brightest and the best international students continue to be very welcome to the UK and agree it is vital to our sector that this message is received outside of the UK. Our concern however, is that action speaks louder than words. The UK Government's intention to massively scale up the number of face-to-face interviews with prospective students to 100,000 sends exactly the opposite message across the world. We consider this to be disproportionate and unnecessary.

"The data has shown very low levels of non-compliance amongst international students studying at university in the UK. Yet if we put this announcement in context, 100,000 face-to-face interviews would mean that almost every second international student in the UK would have been interviewed and treated as if high-risk. This is not the way to rebuild the UK's reputation as a welcoming destination for the brightest and the best students from across the globe.

"International students are hugely important to universities in Scotland, who go to tremendous lengths to comply with UKBA's immigration rules. The presence of international students on Scottish campuses not only enriches the student experience for our home students but offers additional social and cultural vitality to communities more widely."

The Scottish Funding Council has today [Friday 7 December] published the full set of 19 university outcome agreements, agreed between universities and the Scottish Funding Council for academic year 2012/13 onwards.

The outcome agreements see universities set out their ambitions to deliver more across a number of areas of activity including widening access to students of lower socio-economic groups, improved rates of retention and closer engagement with business.

Universities Scotland responded to the much-awaited publication of the outcome agreements by issuing a solid commitment, affirmed by the Principal at every one of Scotland's 19 universities, to work to widen access and improve retention in their institution.

The commitment, affirmed by all Principals, reads:

"I strongly believe in widening access to our universities. University should be equally open to any learner with the appropriate academic potential to benefit, regardless of their social or economic circumstances. It is of equal importance that those learners are properly supported to complete their studies successfully and fulfil their potential. Each university is able to point to its own distinctive and considerable achievements already made in these areas.

"I am committed to delivering progress in the next few years and, in so doing, contributing to an improvement in the university sector in Scotland's record on widening access and retention. Principals share the determination that universities should play the fullest role possible in the pursuit of these goals, working in partnership with schools, colleges and others. This is the spirit in which Principals will lead work within their institutions to meet the outcomes on access and retention that have been agreed with the Scottish Funding Council."