Top universities fail to attract students from poorer backgrounds

By David Jobbins. The United Kingdom’s élite universities are failing to attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds despite making “considerable” efforts and offering financial support to offset the impact of higher tuition fees. A report from the Office for Fair Access, or OFFA, says the top 20% of young people from the most advantaged backgrounds are more than six times more likely to attend a top university than the most disadvantaged 40%. Read more...