Admissions

Freshers and international recruits stay away as overall enrolment drops 4 per cent

Students have been arriving from key markets such as China and India, but flexible start dates mean final numbers are a long way from certain

With the right visa offering, the UK could eat into the US’ market share, say Sanam Arora and Vignesh Karthik KR

Several institutions will not be enrolling doctoral students in autumn 2021 because of the pandemic

Universities minister says campuses can be flexible in their start date, ahead of statement from education secretary on whether A levels will be pushed back

Universities must accept a level of risk and implement measures to minimise the transmission of infections, says Andrew Lee 

Initial data from around a fifth of all US institutions suggest impact of pandemic may not be as severe as feared

Pilot scheme to promote diversity in doctoral study will also include anonymisation of applications

The UK, in particular, could find itself gasping for breath by 2024 if it does not take the currents into account, warns Louise Nicol

It’s been 26 years since apartheid ended, yet South African campuses were convulsed by protests against racism and inequitable university access as recently as four years ago. Much progress has clearly been made – but is it enough? Ellie Bothwell reports

Calgary initiative aims to stamp out unconscious bias in law and medicine

‘Bizarre situation’ where universities are full but still financially constrained, one expert has warned

Ucas says fewer than 1,500 students who missed out on their preferred institution are still unplaced

Head of major standardised test sees bans as excuse for income-related gaps

By spotlighting the social sorting process for 18-year-olds, exam fiasco raises questions about ways to reduce the hierarchy between universities

The increasing social status of the ‘highly credentialed’ risks breeding populist resentment, according to renowned political philosopher

Oversubscribed institutions seek legal advice over asking for deferrals if their courses are full

Degrees will not be granted without final-year assessments, even if they are delayed 

Opponents seize momentum as pandemic leaves majority of US universities test-optional

University admits broader problem as actress Lori Loughlin sentenced for fraud

The A-level grading fiasco has highlighted the limitations of using exam results to assess undergraduate preparedness, says Suleiman M. Sharkh

Some predict lower-tariff institutions will not necessarily be the ones to lose out, while there is also hope that crisis may curtail negative political narrative around HE

Different scenarios for legislative progress force universities to plan for range of outcomes

MillionPlus group of post-92s calls for ‘safety net’ government support for universities hit financially by A-levels U-turn

Practical help for students and universities left exposed by the A-level results chaos is needed, not political point-scoring, says former Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook

Government scraps cap on university places in England

IB says students’ final grades will take greater account of coursework following controversy

Labour calls on prime minister to take ‘personal responsibility’ for fixing assessment crisis

Caps on places and bigger rise in share of top grades at independent schools could lead to skewed intakes

University denies favouring black applicants over white and Asian American candidates

Concerns also emerge that higher-tariff universities may increase share of applicants at expense of some lower-tariff institutions

First figures on admissions show record highs in 18-year-olds placed on courses, but potential for large number of appeals looms

Last-minute change to policy in England means appeals over calculated grades could be based on mock exam results

Labour leader’s call for rethink on moderation coincides with survey that suggests one in three applicants fear they are less likely to get into first-choice university

They are also less likely than students with graduate parents to go to an ‘elite’ institution 

Scottish government says all downgraded Scottish Highers results will be withdrawn, prompting campaigns for same approach on A levels

Poll reveals ethnic minority students also less satisfied with assistance provided by UK schools in pandemic

Announcement comes as anxiety grows in England over grade calculations that have replaced exams 

Oxbridge and the Ivy League might do well to act more like Starbucks, argues Harvard fellow Aviezer Tucker

Students who miss their grades may also be locked out if highly subscribed institutions fear breaching number controls and coronavirus regulations

It is wrong for UK ministers to set up higher and further education in opposition to one another, says former education secretary Justine Greening

Increasing demand a taste of things to come, when school leavers alight on a ravaged job market

Most institutions say they will take Erasmus+ students in the autumn, with Swiss universities universally open, while the UK and Netherlands are more closed

Universities should increase communication with education agents, especially over Covid fears, says working paper

Higher education is no panacea, but critical thinking is the best antidote to inequality, say Chris Cunningham and Colin Samson

Appointing Sir Steve Smith to spearhead the UK’s strategy could see Australia lose ground, warns Tim Dunne

Two years ago, universities claimed to be selling the student experience. So where are our lockdown refunds, asks Maria Magdalena Gajewska

Study also shows that the most advantaged teenagers are more likely to apply to Oxford or Cambridge than the least advantaged

Michelle Donelan’s view on entry rates of different social groups to higher education described as apparent ‘significant departure’

A string of anti-immigration moves has already made the US significantly less attractive to international students, says Rajika Bhandari

Students and parents despair at disparity between predicted and final scores, with many saying that university places are at risk

Applicants face ‘mixed messages’ from sector, with institutions adopting varying tactics

China holds what is probably the world’s largest in-person event since Covid-19 began  

Pathological corporate branding is detrimental to the very image universities want to portray to students, says Philip Moriarty

Universities that boost numbers in lucrative courses are unlikely to attract the attention of Australian regulator’s new watchdog

New rule represents scaling back of ‘alarmingly broad’ original proposal from regulator

Online lectures may enable applicants to broaden their horizons, predicts consultant

Lawmakers approve referendum on reversing 1996 ban, although with tempered expectations

Ucas data suggest expected spike in delayed starts yet to materialise

Increasing numbers of postgraduates appears to be a win-win, with graduates seeking refuge from a poor job market and universities able to make up for lost income, but there are concerns over the quality of those being considered