New Government plans mean students who do not manage to achieve Maths and English GCSEs, or two A-levels at grade E, will not be able to receive a student loan in England.

Government ministers outlined the new requirements for obtaining a university loan on Thursday 24th February. Additionally, the idea of limiting the number of university places will be discussed. Arts and Humanities subjects are the most likely candidates to be affected by the cap.

The move is intended to deter admissions to courses that do not lead directly to a graduate job. This is due to the fact that the number of students attending university is rising and they are looking for a way of controlling the overall number of students. This proposal will result in certain university courses being viewed more unfavourably and will make gaining places on some courses harder than in previous years. 

The Department for Education (DfE) said there would be a consultation on the above proposals. It was also stated that they were considering entry grade exemptions for student loan qualification for certain types of students: for instance mature students without the required grades may still be eligible for a student loan. 

One of the ideas behind limiting university places and the grade requirements for a loan is to prevent universities from recruiting students into higher education before they are ready.  Not every individual is ready to attend university at the same time in their lives and one of the ideas behind the new proposals is that it will force universities to consider admissions carefully, especially due to the fact that there will be less places available within the institution. Another argument behind the proposals is that it will cause individuals to consider apprenticeships or other non-university avenues.

The number of applicants to UK universities has increased in recent years, with the latest data showing 320,000 candidates had applied this year so far, compared to 306,000 in 2021. With the current proposals put forward by the government that number will likely begin to fall in the years to come. 

Being able to access the government loans as a way to access higher education is often the only way for individuals from a disadvantaged background to be able to improve their social standing. With access to loans taken away if students do not achieve Maths and English GCSEs and two A-Levels at grade E, some individuals will no longer be able to access university.  

Sir Peter Lampl, founder and executive chair of the Sutton Trust education charity, suggests that ‘The introduction of any minimum grade requirement is always going to have the biggest impact on the poorest young people, as they are more likely to have lower grades because of the disadvantages they have faced in their schooling.’ 

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