Press release
million+ welcomes national strategy for access and student success in Higher Education in England
04 Apr 2014
The university think-tank million+ has welcomed the national strategy which focuses on access and student success in higher education in England which has been published by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The think-tank has previously emphasised the importance of ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to study for a degree and has called for Ministers to launch a high profile campaign to promote part-time study and opportunities for older people who do not go to university straight from school.
Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University and Chair of university think-tank million+ said:
“The national strategy for access and student success is a welcome contribution to the continued development of a university system that works for all potential students. We hope that the government will now take up the call to encourage part-time and mature students to study for a degree and also highlight the importance of flexible study options.”
“The option to study at university should be available to all those qualified to benefit, whatever their age and however they choose to study.”
“If this agenda is to be taken seriously, it is crucial that all political parties spell out not only how they would invest in higher education after the election, but also how they would ensure that university is not just for young people who want to study full-time.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Victoria Robinson, Press and Communications Officer, million+ on 020 7717 1658 / 07527 336 795 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk.
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk.
3. The full report developed by OFFA and HEFCE can be found here.
4. In 2012, million+ and the NUS published Never too late to learn, a research report which highlighted the extent to which numbers of mature students were often under-estimated, identified concerns about the impact of the new funding regimes in England on older students and outlined a series of recommendations based on a survey of 4000 mature students.