Analysis shows plans for higher GCSE threshold could disqualify 48% of disadvantaged students and hit north harder than south
Nearly half of all disadvantaged pupils in England could be prevented from going to university under government plans for a minimum GCSE entry level for higher education, university leaders are warning.
Vice-chancellors believe that the government is poised to introduce a new entry threshold for a place on university courses as a means of reining in its rising student loan debt, with outstanding loans reaching £140bn last year. They are expecting the government to announce that students will not be eligible for a student loan unless they have at least a level 4 (the equivalent of an old grade C) in maths and English at GCSE.
