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UCAS updates

Alan JonesProfessional Development Executive

The changing sector landscape

Post-18 funding review

Teacher recruitment issues

Qualification reform

Transparency agenda

Brexit

TE(SO)F

Apprenticeships

Careers strategy

T levels

Widening access and participation

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Keep up-to-date:• Use our adviser timeline. • Sign up for our free adviser newsletter.• Adviser newsfeed.• @ucas_online

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https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news

https://wonkhe.com/

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2019 End of cycle report

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UCAS: 2019 statistics

706,435 applicants (circa. 60% of them UK 18 year olds) +1.6%

541,240 accepted onto courses +1.5%

372,290 accepted to firm choice

35,440 accepted to insurance choice

73,320 accepted via Clearing +10%

53,685 accepted via Clearing after main scheme

19,640 accepted via Clearing direct (applied after 18:00 30 June)

4,635 accepted via Extra and 590 accepted via Adjustment

76.6%acceptance rate

34.1%entry rate for

UK 18y-os

Some noteworthy trends and observations 92.5% of applicants received at least one offer

49% of 18-year-olds from Eng/Wales/NI who sat at least3 A levels, were accepted with lower grades thanthose advertised

2019 73.6% of UK 18-year-olds accepted onto a course got in to their firm choice

15% growth in students aged 35+

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97.8% of UK based 18-year-olds

39.1% of applicants got offers from all choices

applicants & accepts

Some noteworthy trends and observations

Record entry rates for all POLAR 4 groups of UK 18-year-olds

The most advantaged students 2.26 times aslikely to enter HE as the most disadvantaged

2019

Gap narrowed across the three tariff groups of universities and colleges, but still higher for the high tariff institutionswhere the most advantaged are 5.27 times more likely to enter.

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21% record entry rate for the most disadvantaged 18-year-olds

Gap between 18-year-olds from Q1 and Q5 narrowed to a record low.

Access & participation

Unconditional offers 2019 cycle update

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137,805 offers with an unconditional component made to 18-year-oldsfrom England, Wales and NI59.9% conditional unconditional (8.5%of offers made – a 26.2% increase, the largest growth)

But declining impact20.6% selected as firm choicecompared to 25.6% in 2014.

37.7% of 18-year-olds from Eng/Wales/NI received an offer with anUnconditional component.

Decline my place for Clearing (2019)

Why did the process change?

• Clearing Working Group recommendation

• 26,823 applicants in 2018

• Hope to reduce unnecessary calls to course providers and to the UCAS Customer Experience Centre

• Keep up momentum in Clearing

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• 28,030 applicants used ‘Decline my place’ in 2019

• 18,960 accepted onto different course

Declining number of UK 18-year-olds until 2021 then…

Important

Advisers need to be aware that from 2021, competition for places is likely to increase.

Therefore, they need to ensure that their support processes are robust, and that they keep abreast of newUCAS services and tools (e.g. Adviser Portal from May 2019; UCAS Sync /new application possibly 2021)

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Just 65% of young people (under-16) think it’s important to go to university, down from 75% a year ago, and 86% in 2013.

Poll conducted summer 2019 by Ipsos MORI for the Sutton Trust.

“Whilst this may be in part due to more awareness of apprenticeships and other opportunities, I can’t help thinking that this is mainly about a sharp erosion of trust amongst Gen Z in authority, large corporations, public bodies, and in universities in particular.”

Chief Customer Officer, Unibuddy

“Young people need better careers guidance, including where different degrees and apprenticeships could lead.”

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of The Sutton Trust educational charity

And more challenges down the line

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Adviser classroom resourcesfor research activities www.ucas.com/researching-options

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The UCAS Hub

UCAS Hub

• To provide a FREE, EQUAL service to ALL prospective HE students, giving them all the available options, to ensure they make the right decisions for them.

• https://www.ucas.com/introducing-ucas-hub

• https://www.ucas.com/inspiring-futures(using the Hub lesson plans)

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• Provide students with a central place to store and collate information and research

• Provide all the necessary tools and guidance on what to do next, where to look, and how to do

things

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New Adviser portal Replaces Apply for advisers and Adviser Track

Access to dashboard features dependent on permissions

Tracking offers and decisions

- Now free part of portal and- Features Real time data

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https://pdp.ucas.com/

Adviser portal digital training and user guide Professional development platform:

Apply key facts

• Application is entirely online at ucas.com.

• Maximum of five choices.

• Some choice restrictions:

• medicine, veterinary medicine/science, dentistry

max four in any one of the above + fifth different choice

• Oxford or Cambridge

• Simple application cost:

• one choice – £20

• two to five choices – £25

• Guaranteed consideration and ‘invisibility’.

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Changes to

qualifications

can now be

updated online

post-submission

by advisers

or students.

Students with parenting responsibilities

Care leavers

Estranged students

Refugees and asylum seekers

Mature students

Trans and non-binary students

Service children

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller students

Students with criminal convictions

Veterans and service leavers

Disabled students

Carers

Cohorts we are working to support further

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Reimagine

What would a new, reimagined admissions service look like, and how may customers respond?

• How is the service delivered in other countries?

• Could we move to a ‘PQ offer’ model?• What would the impact be of these

changes?• Is PQA feasible?

Reform and Reimagine project

Reform

What enhancements could UCAS make to the current admissions service?

• Supplement predicted grades with ‘projected outcome’ based on GCSEs?

• Remove the insurance choice?• Remove the need to decline offers, with

applicants able to hold them throughout the cycle?

• Provide more information on the qualifications and grades people are accepted with?

• Single offer date?

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Resources supporting transition to universityhttp://www.studentminds.org.uk/uploads/3/7/8/4/3784584/180531_kbyg_interactive.pdf

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UCAS Customer Experience Centre

Usual opening hours: Mon – Fri 08:30 – 18:00

Applicants and parentsTel: 0371 468 0 468 (UK)Tel: +44 330 3330 230enquiries@ucas.ac.uk

Teachers and advisers: Tel: 0345 123 8001 (UK)Tel: +44 330 3330 239adviserhelp@ucas.ac.uk

Q & A

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