Plans to reform univeristy entry requirements including the introduction of minimum grade eligibility for student loans will create an “insurmountable barrier” to higher education for disadvantaged young people, experts have warned. The Department for Education has launched a consultation on minimum entry requirements for students to be eligible for government-backed loans for tuition and maintenance. Under the plans, students would be required to achieve grade 4 or 5 in English and mathematics at GCSE or two Es at A level. Latest figures show that while 71 per cent of pupils in England achieve a grade 4 in GCSE English and maths this falls to just over half of pupils from disadvantaged households. The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has urged the government to “proceed with caution”. Read more.
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