This article from The Student Room reports on a recent survey by the UK University and College Union (UCU) and policy consultancy London Economics. The survey of over 500 undergraduate applicants was commissioned to get an idea of the impact COVID-19 might have on university deferral rates and students switching universities during Clearing.
If universities are forced to hold lectures online in the autumn, about 17% of prospective students will not start their degrees in September, London Economics found when it analysed the survey data.
And UCU reported that this would result in around 120,000 deferrals – significantly higher than the usual UCAS figure of 30,000 deferrals a year.
Respondents also said there was a 25% chance that they would consider changing university during Clearing, which the UCU warned “could lead to a summer of chaos as institutions compete to secure students”.
The implications of this will go well into the future also. If there is a very high deferral rate this year than that will most likely mean increased pressure for university places next year. Year 13 students in the new academic year are likely to face an increasing competitive environment to get into the university course they choose. To discuss the implications on your education or any other queries about UCAS please contact us for a free consultation.
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