Augar report: We need many, many more high-quality alternatives to university
The government’s long-awaited response to the Augar report contained some good and bad news for social mobility.
Lifelong Loan Entitlement
On the upside, the Lifelong Loan Entitlement – if adequately funded and well implemented – has the potential to boost opportunity, with people being able to gain qualifications at various stages of their lives.
It might go some way to reversing the huge decline in part-time learners we have seen over the last decade. We know that those from lower income homes will especially benefit from these ‘second chances’, with more flexibility to dip in and out of education at various points, with credit for those modules they have already completed. It could be a real game-changer.
Missed opportunity to reintroduce maintenance grants
But the news is more mixed elsewhere. Higher education is still one of the best ways for youngsters from poorer homes to get access to better paying jobs and top careers.
So it is crucial for social mobility that young people with the potential to benefit can access university, wherever they are in the country and whatever their background, and do not emerge with unsustainable levels of debt.
It is therefore disappointing that the government have not backed the Augar Report’s recommendation to reintroduce maintenance grants for the poorest students – a measure long-advocated by the Trust. This would help to address the current inequity by which students from low- and middle-income homes graduate with more debt than their wealthier peers.
While the proposal for a new national scholarship system is welcome, this is unlikely to be of significant scale to make a systematic difference. Re-instating crucial maintenance support should be the priority for any changes to the student finance system.
Minimum grade requirement reduces choice for the poorest students
In an increasingly complex landscape, we also need to make sure that young people are making choices that give them the best chance of getting the jobs they want.
But the introduction of any minimum grade requirement for accessing student finance is going to have the biggest impact on the poorest young people as they are, unfortunately, less likely do well in school.
Through our work with over 50,000 bright, low-income students, we know that there are young people whose potential is not always reflected in their school grades. But given a chance, they go on to thrive. We must ensure that the minimum entry requirements do not put a brake on their aspirations or make certain university courses – those in the creative arts for example – out of bounds to those from working class backgrounds.
High quality, impartial careers advice availability is patchy
Rather than hard and fast cut offs, the best way to help young people make good choices about their futures is to ensure they have high quality, impartial careers advice while they are in school and college. But the system is patchy and too often it is those from poorer homes, who can’t rely as much on a network of professional friends and family, who miss out.
More important than ever that other routes are opened to disadvantaged young people
Most importantly we need many, many more high-quality alternatives to university, for those who aren’t suited to or don’t want to go down a traditional academic route.
While the government’s focus on qualifications at levels 4 and 5 is encouraging, we’d also like to see more apprenticeship opportunities made available. At present there are simply far too few higher and degree level apprenticeships on offer – just a tiny fraction of the university places available each year. And less than five percent of degree apprenticeships go to under 19s.
This needs to change substantially to meet the skills demands of the future. If the university pathway is going to be closed to more young people, it is more important than ever that we open up other routes to make the most of their talents.
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