Getting into Varsity: Comparability, Convergence and Congruence ...

Once a candidate has received decisions from all of the institutions to which he or she has applied, the candidate must respond to them. An applicant can firmly accept one offer. If this offer is unconditional, all other offers must be declined. If the offer being firmly accepted is conditional, a second (unconditional or conditional) offer may be accepted as ‘insurance’, should the applicant fail to meet the conditions of the first offer; all other offers must be declined.

Inevitably, some candidates will fail to meet the conditions of the offer(s) that they have accepted. If the institution which made the offer holds the applicant to the original conditions and rejects him or her at this stage, the applicant may enter what is known as the Clearing process. This process begins in August after the publication of examination results, in which universities and colleges advertise remaining places in courses. It is available to applicants who have failed to meet the conditions of their accepted offers and also to those who submitted their applications after the original deadline. Over 30,000 applicants per year obtain their place on a course through Clearing.

Issues and Controversies

A university education, especially from a well-regarded institution, is an important factor in determining an individual's life chances. The Labour Force Survey of 2001–2002 revealed that a university graduate can expect to earn approximately 30% more than someone with only a non-graduate higher education qualification, 50% more than someone with only A-Levels, 70% more than someone with only GCSEs (grades A to C), and 110% more than someone with no formal secondary qualifications. Although the value of a degree is perhaps less than it once was—entry to many jobs and professions that traditionally did not require a degree-level qualification now does—there is a widely held view that it still makes sense, in terms of the potential for economic growth, for the Government to pursue a policy of ‘up-skilling’ the workforce. The growth of the university sector, in terms of the number of institutions with degree-conferring powers, has been ongoing for the past nine centuries.