Poorer Students 'Must Be Helped'

More needs to be done to get poorer students into college and university, according to a major student body.

Record numbers passed their higher exams yesterday with nearly 25,000 gaining a higher education place, a 3% rise on last year. But the National Union of Students in Scotland says the Government needs to focus more on fair access, particularly for disadvantaged teenagers.

Vonnie Sandlan, NUS Scotland president, said: "It’s fantastic to see yet another year of record exam passes, a testament to the hard work of all our students and teachers who should be really proud of everything they’ve achieved. The results also mean that, at this stage, Scotland has another record year of university entrants, and a clear increase in comparison to the rest of the UK. We shouldn’t just be proud of that, but hugely encouraged by the good news it is for our students, universities, and Scotland as a whole.
 
"What’s important now is ensuring that we’re able to follow through on these great results, and that that all those young people with the potential to succeed in higher education have the opportunity to do so. Despite steady progress, we can still do more on fair access and increasing the number of students from the poorest backgrounds at our universities. In amongst all the good news for students, we also shouldn’t forget those who might not have got the results they wanted. There are still lots of options available, and all those students who are worried shouldn’t be afraid to seek out advice and support for what to do next from UCAS or careers advisers.
 
"In another year of increased demand, we want to see government, the funding council and institutions working together to maximise opportunities and access for all students. As applications continue to get processed, and more opportunities through clearing open up, we need to make sure that universities have the incentive and ability to convert as many applications to acceptances as they can, and continue to increase the numbers of opportunities available for students."