New photo One in three students are given unconditional offers by universities

The number of unconditional offers made to budding university students has rocketed to record levels, incentivising them to slack off in their A-level exams.

New figures show more than a third of students received an unconditional offer in 2018 – up from a quarter last year and just one per cent in 2013.

The incredible rise has been driven by desperate universities competing to snap up as many students as they can – and the money that comes with them – regardless of whether they end up getting good A-level grades.

New figures show more than a third of students received an unconditional offer in 2018

The data also shows students who get unconditional offers are more likely to miss their predicted grades than those who receive conditional ones.

The figures, released by admissions body Ucas, show A-level results are becoming increasingly irrelevant to university entry. Critics say the practice amounts to dumbing down entry standards, as teenagers no longer have to meet the rigorous grades previously required by universities.

The report yesterday prompted Education Secretary Damian Hinds to call on the Office for Students (OfS) regulator to crack down on prolific offenders. 

Education Secretary Damian Hinds called on the Office for Students to crack down on offenders

He said: ‘This report shows that many students could be distracted from the final year of their schooling and achieve A-Level grades lower than they are capable of.

‘The systematic use of unconditional offers is not in the interest of students.’

Data shows 87,540 – 34.4 per cent – of 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland applying for a place this year had at least one unconditional offer, up from 25.9 per cent last year and 1.1 per cent in 2013.

The trend is due to the removal of the cap on the number of students universities can recruit. Matt Waddup, head of policy at the University and College Union, said: ‘Unconditional offers have made a mockery of exams.’

Mother, father and son all graduate together from the SAME university 

 By Claire Duffin

Parents are usually very keen to attend their child’s graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievement as a family.

But the mother and father of Oliver Raven had an extra incentive to turn up for their son’s big day – they were there to pick up their degrees from the university too.

Oliver, 23, collected his foundation degree in paramedic science alongside his father, Steven, 48, while mother Jenny, 49, received a Master’s in advanced clinical practice, all from the University of Worcester.

From left to right, Oliver, Steven and Jenny graduated together from the same university

Mrs Raven, from Hereford, said: ‘I’d have been at the graduation for Oliver anyway, as a proud mum, but to also know I was there as a proud wife and celebrating my own achievement as well is fantastic.’ The trio collected their certificates at Worcester Cathedral earlier this month.

Mrs Raven, an occupational therapist, studied her Master’s part-time while working. Mr Raven had been a teacher but decided to retrain and enrolled at the same time as his son for their two-year foundation degree.

Oliver and his father are now paramedics at West Midlands Ambulance Service.

 

 

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News Pictures One in three students are given unconditional offers by universities

You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!

TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st

To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.

Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”

Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”

kim cattrall

Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb

SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.

Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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