Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage boys to apply for university.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background and personal characteristics. Access to higher education (HE) should be based on ability and attainment. Opportunity should be available to all and it is our aspiration that no groups are left behind.

It is critical that both boys and girls are supported with good advice, quality options and fair and transparent processes which ensure there are no barriers to them accessing high quality courses suited to their ability, interests and aspirations.

The department expects schools and colleges to provide a stable, structured careers programme in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Benchmarks include a clear expectation that every pupil should meet providers of the full range of learning opportunities, including universities. By the age of 18, all pupils who are considering applying for university should have had at least two visits to universities to meet staff and pupils

All English HE providers that are registered with the Office for Students (OfS) and intend to charge higher fees must have an access and participation plan (APP) approved by the OfS. APPs should set out how a university or college will challenge risks to equality of opportunity in HE and include the underrepresented groups it will support. HE providers should refer to the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register published by the OfS when considering risk. They should also consider other local risks based on available evidence to address areas of under-representation.

UCAS has introduced reforms to the admissions application form to increase transparency and improve clarity around the process. These include a new academic reference for the 2024 cycle, a new entry grades tool for the 2025 cycle and personal statement reform. These changes aim to enable students to make informed, ambitious choices and ensure universities hear from students in their own words.