Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of children in need (a) applied to and (b) entered university in the most recent years for which figures are available.

Data published by UCAS show that young people from the most disadvantaged areas in England were more likely to enter higher education in 2014 than ever before, and the latest figures for 2015 show that the application rate was at a record level.

Acceptances and entry rates¹ for 18 year olds from the most disadvantaged areas² in England

Source: UCAS end of cycle report December 2014. Comparable figures for 2015 will be published in December. N/A = not available.

Application rates³ for 18 year olds from the most disadvantaged areas² in England

Source: UCAS application rate report January 2015.

1. The entry rate is the percentage of the 18 year old population accepted into higher education through UCAS.

2. Quintile 1 of the POLAR indicator. The POLAR classification developed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) classifies small areas across the UK into five groups according to their level of young participation (entry at age 18 or 19) in higher education. Each of these groups represents around 20 per cent of young people and are ranked from quintile 1 (areas with the lowest young participation rates, considered as the most disadvantaged) to quintile 5 (highest young participation rates, considered most advantaged).

3. The application rate is the percentage of the 18 year old population who apply to higher education via UCAS.