Top universities worry about high student numbers

Heads of some of the United Kingdom’s elite universities fear they may be forced to take thousands of extra students they feel they do not have room for this summer, if teacher-assessed A-levels lead to far more 18-year-olds achieving the grades they need to obtain a place, writes Anna Fazackerley for The Guardian.

During last summer’s A-level fiasco, when thousands of students had their A-levels marked up at the last minute, some elite universities accepted up to a third more students than planned because so many met their offer grades. This year, teacher-assessed A-levels are widely expected to result in far more students with top grades again, leaving some universities worrying about how they will cope.

Vice-chancellors say they have to take everyone who meets the conditions of their offer, unless they can persuade them – or pay them – to defer their place to next year, when there should be less pressure on accommodation and facilities.
Full report on The Guardian site