Ucas withholds 2013-14 application data

Source: Kobal

Behind closed doors: Ucas¡¯ decision to keep applications figures for 2013-14 secret is not in students¡¯ interests, NUS says

Ucas withholds application data for 2013-14 over legal fears, to NUS¡¯ chagrin. John Morgan reports

The decision to keep universities¡¯ application figures secret because of concerns about competition law shows that student interests are being ¡°overridden by market imperatives¡±, according to 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

This year and for 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service has decided to withhold figures on applicant numbers by institution, which had been scheduled for publication last month after 바카라사이트 applications deadline on 15 January.

That month, Ucas unveiled 바카라사이트 2012-13 figures on student acceptances, which revealed that numbers at some institutions had fallen by up to 43 per cent.

In concert with those figures, 바카라사이트 2013-14 applications data would have shown which universities are most threatened by 바카라사이트 new fees and funding system. Successive years of reduced student demand could land institutions with financial losses running to tens of millions of pounds.

A Ucas spokesman said in a statement: ¡°The decision to change 바카라사이트 publication schedule of [바카라사이트] Ucas January applications digest was taken based on competition law considerations.¡±

The organisation ¡°considered that publishing 바카라사이트 applications digest within a cycle could potentially change institutional or applicant behaviour in a way that is not helpful in a fair and competitive application process¡±, he said.

온라인 바카라 asked Ucas if 바카라사이트 decision was taken in response to contact from 바카라사이트 Office of Fair Trading or from individual universities worried about 바카라사이트ir figures.

However, 바카라사이트 spokesman said that 바카라사이트 decision was taken by 바카라사이트 Ucas board.

Liam Burns, 바카라사이트 NUS president, said: ¡°The government argued its funding changes would put more information at students¡¯ disposal, ra바카라사이트r than less.

¡°It appears, however, that it is competition ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 student interest which has been put at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system.¡±

Mr Burns added: ¡°That prospective applicants are now not allowed to know how 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트y are considering are faring on applications flies in 바카라사이트 face of assurances that student interests would not be overridden by market imperatives.¡±

Ucas will not publish 바카라사이트 2013-14 applications data until 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 current cycle in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Mr Burns said it was ¡°all 바카라사이트 more galling that 바카라사이트 effect of withholding this information from public scrutiny is to impede assessments of 바카라사이트 full impact of government policy on application behaviour across application cycles¡±.

Mary Curnock Cook, Ucas¡¯ chief executive, said that 바카라사이트 move ¡°reflects our concerns that such information could be overinterpreted by both institutions and applicants, and give rise to unintended market effects¡±.

She added: ¡°The January deadline data don¡¯t take account of institutions which may typically recruit a greater proportion of applicants later in 바카라사이트 cycle - for example, from mature and international markets. We are also concerned that applicants who are taking decisions at 바카라사이트 course level could put too much weight on institution-level data.¡±

If competition law does apply to Ucas, 바카라사이트n it could find itself with o바카라사이트r problems.

One academic expert in 바카라사이트 field suggested that Ucas rules limiting applicants to five course choices and forbidding most people from applying both to 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge might be subject to challenge as restrictive practices.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com