A short article on getting scholarships in these competitive times
Securing the best grades at A level is becoming increasingly important, especially with university places becoming more competitive and scholarships available only to outstanding students. Therefore many students enrol in private schools in London.
Recent statistics produced by OFFA (Office for Fair Access), the university watchdog, have revealed that UK universities are spending less on helping disadvantaged students secure a place at the university of their choice after completing A levels.
Targets are set within individual universities to allocate a certain percentage of the money raised from fees to pay for scholarships and bursaries. This year 44 universities did not meet those targets. But the study has a brighter outcome – as a result of these worrying results the director of OFFA Sir Martin Harris has made a statement that promises to rectify the situation: “The large majority of universities and colleges are meeting their statistical targets. Where they are not doing so, I am concerned to understand the reasons why. Over the coming months, we will therefore be discussing performance with a range of institutions, including those that have reported the least progress”
Currently OFFA’s rules state that any university or college whose fees are £1,200 or above must provide access to students from poorer backgrounds. These recent statistics are from 2009-10 when the maximum yearly fee was £3,225. 2012 sees the beginning of the much publicised increase in students fees, with universities being allowed to charge up to £9000 a year. Hopefully, this will mean that universities will be under increased pressure and scrutiny from OFFA to set aside substantial amounts of money for places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Additionally the presence of The National Scholarship Programme is encouraging. This initiative introduced by the Government will invest £150m a year in helping to provide university places for gifted students from poorer backgrounds, and universities will pledge to match fund each qualifying student.
Outstanding students in a position to receive scholarship support at degree level may also qualify for help earlier on their academic path. A number of independent schools across the UK offer scholarships to gifted British and International students who might otherwise not be able to go to a good sixth form college. Scholarships available on A level courses may offer a fee reduction of up to 20% or more.
Many independent A level colleges have a proven track record in improving students grades, at CATS for example A level results are 32% above the national average, a difference that gives a student much more leverage when applying for a university place.
This year CATS saw record numbers of their A level students being accepted at the UK’s top universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, LSE, Durham and York.
CATS offer a 20% reduction in fees (and in certain circumstances more than 20%) to students who have shown outstanding school performance across all areas.
The small class sizes, individual learning plans, tailored teaching methods, extra tuition, and constant monitoring and support available at independent sixth form colleges mean that students are able to reach their full academic potential.
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