OFFA Access Reports

29 June 2017

Commenting as the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) published outcomes of access agreement monitoring for 2015-16, Sarah Stevens, Head of Policy at the Russell Group, said:

“The fact that institutions are meeting their targets is positive, though we recognise that there is more to be done. Russell Group universities are investing significantly in widening access, nearly doubling funding over the last five years for scholarships, fee waivers, bursaries and outreach activities aimed at the most disadvantaged.

“OFFA recognises that progress has been made and our members are leading the way in addressing barriers facing specific under-represented groups in their local areas.

“The Social Mobility Commission’s report this week made it clear that the UK still has a long way to go to ensure that people from all walks of life have the same opportunities to succeed. Our members work to ensure more young people apply to leading universities, and more students from disadvantaged backgrounds graduate with qualifications and skills that help them into the workforce.”

Further information on the work that Russell Group universities are doing to boost social mobility is available in our  briefing at http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/media/5527/social-mobility-briefing-final-2.pdf