Universities in the UK have been cleared of claims that they are lowering entry standards to admit international students to foundation courses. Universities UK, an organisation representing 142 institutions, ordered a review from watchdog the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which found that entry requirements for international students were generally similar to those for their UK counterparts. The review also found that international students have greater options to retake exams than students taking A-level courses. QAA also made two recommendations for universities, including a call for the standardisation of assessment and rules on international foundation courses.
The head of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern, said that while the number of students on the foundation programme represented a small portion of the two million undergraduates, the review was still critical to ensure students had “confidence that university admissions processes are fair”. The group would now update its code of practice to guarantee equitable admissions, she added. The Russell Group, a group of 24 leading universities, said they were “committed to fair admissions and delivering high-quality courses”. General practices will also be examined going forward.
The review arose after allegations earlier this year, from The Sunday Times, that international students buy their way into UK universities using “secret routes”. Media coverage also highlighted how universities have the potential to receive more money from international students because their tuition fees are not restricted like those paid by domestic UK students. The rise in international students has mostly stemmed from applications for postgraduate degrees, not undergraduate courses, according to research from the University of Oxford, Migration Observatory.
At the start of February, the group responsible for the review, Universities UK, requested QAA to investigate the practices of universities represented by the organisation. QAA analysed the programmes across 34 universities that volunteered for the review. The regulator made the finding that there were “no concerns that providers were not following their published entry requirements”, and that similar requirements were set for international programmes as equivalent courses for UK students
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