Rise in poor pupils applying to university, but they still trail behind

Record numbers of pupils on free school meals are aiming to go to university this year – but they are still half as likely to apply as their more privileged peers.

Figures from university admissions body Ucas show that 14,230 students on free school meals in England applied for a place on a degree course from this autumn, compared with 8,720 six years ago.

This is the highest number yet recorded and represents a rise from 10.5 per cent of the total 18-year-olds receiving free school meals who applied in 2006, to 17.9 per cent who had submitted their application by the 24 March deadline this year.

But pupils not on free school meals are twice as likely to have university in their sights, with 37.1 per cent of the cohort putting in applications this year, itself a rise from 30.3 per cent eight years ago. The average across all students is 34.6 per cent, up from 27.7 per cent in 2006.

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Lee Elliot Major, director of policy and development at the Sutton Trust, which campaigns on social mobility, welcomed the increase in the number of pupils on free school meals applying, but said the disparity showed there was still much work to do.

“It is good that the numbers of disadvantaged students applying to university are growing, and the gap with other students has narrowed a little,” he said. “But there is still a significant gap, particularly pronounced with boys, and other data show the gap to be much wider at our most prestigious universities in both applications and entry.

“It is vital that schools continue to improve exam performance for disadvantaged pupils and that outreach work and access programmes, including summer schools, continue to engage with those from less privileged backgrounds from an early stage.”

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