Access to HEConferenceMonday 2nd July 2015

Regulator’s Perspective

Julie FarmerHead of Access to HE

QAA

Access to HE in 2015 and beyond

Julie Farmer

Head of Access

Gateway Qualifications Conference

6 July 2015

2014-15 A significant year for Access to HE

25 years of Access to HE - the QAA Parliamentary Reception

Access to HE Admissions Fair

• Consistent qualification structure for all students – equity of access to achievement

• Greater transparency for HE admissions purposes • c1200 titles reduced to c450• Mainly level 3 qualification, with some specific level 2 • Diplomas more focussed (no generic combined studies)• AVA increasingly developing generic diploma ‘frameworks’

for customisation by providers

A new specification implemented

• Aligns AHE grades with A level grades• Accepted that AHE for calculation purposes is should be

treated as of equivalent size as 3 A levels• Ascribes points to grades on same ratio as used for A level

A, C and E grades, plus conversion factor • Generates HEFCE determined ABB+ profile (30 credits at D

and 15 at Merit+)

UCAS tariff - methodology

• New tariff tables on UCAS website

• QAA seminars in autumn 2015

• Updated Access to HE Admissions toolkit in autumn 2015

UCAS tariff - raising awareness

• Access to HE results transmitted electronically to higher education

• All AVAs involved

• Critical that information students provide on UCAS application form is accurate

• QAA will monitor

UCAS - awarding body linkage

• Access to HE Diploma mainstream qualification

• Will support greater consistency in HE entry requirements and offers

• Longer term benefit - for example employers use tariff points for a range of purposes

Benefits of being in the UCAS tariff

Access to HE and widening participation

• 45,005 students registered (420 in universities)

• 330 organisations (83% FE colleges) provided Access to HE courses

• 1,119 courses

Scope of provision 2013-14

Gender balance 2013-14

74%

26%WomenMen

Participation profile (2013-14)

'Quintile 1' 'Quintile 2' 'Quintile 3' 'Quintile 4' 'Quintile 5'0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Access to HE Other

Age profile (2013-14)

13%

37%20%

13%

8%5% 3% 1%

19 and under 20-2425-29 30-3435-39 40-4445-49 50+

• 35,295 Access to HE students applied to enter higher education (6% of all applicants)

• 70% applicants (c 25,000) with the Diploma accepted by universities (6% of all acceptances)

• 121 universities received applications from Access to HE students

• 88 further education colleges received applications from Access to HE students to study on HE programmes

Progression to higher education 2014-15

Subject group Applicants with an Access to HE Diploma

Accepted applicants with an Access to HE Diploma

  Actual figure Actual figure As % of applicants

Subjects allied to medicine 20,360 11,010 54%

Social studies 5,155 3,045 59%

Biological sciences 3,665 2,205 60%

Education 1,790 1,130 63%

Business and administrative studies 1,675 1,205 72%

Law 1,420 950 67%

Progression by subject (2014 admissions)

Access to HE now

and ‘tomorrow’

• 2013-14: 19,720 (to end of July) applications made by Access to HE students (28 per cent of all)

• 2014-15: to April, 17,220 applications made by Access to HE students

• All applications down by 6 per cent• Access to HE down by 13 per cent, but still 28 per cent of all• What we don’t know – how many loans approved, how many

taken up? What will it look like in May figures?

Funding: 24+ Adult Learning Loans

• Access to HE Diplomas continue to be funded

• ‘Pre- Access’ - more limited opportunities, but AVAs having success in securing funding for newly focussed qualifications that can support progression into the Diploma

• 44,686 registrations in 2014-15 (up nearly 2,000)

Provision: still going strong

• Possible extension of loans to 19+ and level 2

• Reconfigured FE infrastructure?

• Lifting of Student Number Controls in higher education

• The demographics – not enough young people to fill HE places or fill skilled job roles

Challenges or opportunities?

QAA activity 2015-16:

• Continue to raise awareness of the Diploma and related developments (eg UCAS)

• Continue to strengthen the Diploma through development work with AVAs, assessment experts and subject specialists from further and higher education

• Review quality requirements for distance/online and private provision

Fit for the future

Access to HE: continuing to help people to change their lives

accesstohe.ac.uk

access@qaa.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1452 557000

© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2015Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786www.accesstohe.ac.uk QAA manages the national framework for the recognition and regulation of Access to HE Diplomas. www.qaa.ac.uk

Thank you

Access to HEConferenceMonday 2nd July 2015