Here’s a graph from UCAS’s analysis of university applications showing the application rates for 18 year-olds from the most disadvantaged areas — and it shows the application rate in England this year is higher than in any other year bar 2011:
Here’s what UCAS says the figures indicate:
In England the application rate for this disadvantaged group decreases slightly (0.2 per cent) in 2012. This is the first application rate decrease since 2006, since when annual increases have ranged from 0.8 to 2.7 percentage points. However, the level of the application rate for England in 2012 is not inconsistent with the trend across the period as a whole.
There was a sharper decline in application rates for 18 year-olds from the most advantaged areas — down by 2.5%.
These are just one year’s figures and should be regarded with caution. However, this data appears to show that no matter what you think of the Coalition’s tuition fees policy, it isn’t having a disproportionate impact on young people from the poorest backgrounds.
Below is UCAS’s full analysis of today’s figures:
UCAS 2012 University Application Figures Analysis
From me last night > The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to uni in 2012 than under Labour http://t.co/OvCPFbc4
From me last night > The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to uni in 2012 than under Labour http://t.co/OvCPFbc4
From me last night > The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to uni in 2012 than under Labour http://t.co/OvCPFbc4
From me last night > The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to uni in 2012 than under Labour http://t.co/OvCPFbc4
RT @stephentall: The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to university in 2012 than under the http://t.co/Jlrrj3FC
[...] can highlight that this year marks the second highest ever number of applications from teenagers, including for those from disadvantaged areas. Whichever side you take, these are in any case just one year’s figures: this debate will [...]
More disadvantaged 18 year-olds apply to uni in 2012 than under #Labour government: http://t.co/pMEH2WYg via @stephentall #libdems #fees