More than 10,000 UK students have been taken off courses to help them return to a university-based education after a government-backed review found that they had been under-represented.
The UK’s Department for Education said it had already taken 2,500 students off courses due to the changes.
“In light of the review and other evidence that demonstrates the negative impact of student underrepresentation on the quality of tertiary learning and on the economy, we are making a number of changes,” a spokesman said.
What’s the problem?
Students who are under-represented in their field are not represented in a number or type of courses.
These are courses such as languages, arts, music and cultural studies, which are all taught by professionals and which tend to involve work experience.
However, they also include courses in health, human resources, the arts and sciences, and the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Undergraduate students have also been made redundant from a number courses, with the number of full-time courses dropped from 6,400 in 2015-16 to 5,000.
Students who attended a higher-education institution in 2016-17 were offered new courses at the same rate as in previous years.
The new policy will be implemented from September.
How to get help The Department for Educational Services (DES) has said that more than 80% of students have benefited from a reduction in their fees.
The move has been described by some as a “graduation bonus” and a “big step forward”.
However, students who attended schools in London, Birmingham and Nottingham, where many students have stayed, are not eligible to be enrolled.
The department is also reducing the number or types of courses it offers to help under-served students.
The government has also announced a plan to introduce an online course for students in secondary education.
What should I do?
If you have not been enrolled in a course, contact your university to arrange for a course to be offered online.
This will ensure that you have access to a wider range of courses that you might not have otherwise had access to.
Students should also make an appointment to speak to a specialist if they have a problem with a course.
The Department of Education said students who had not completed a course in the past year should also contact their school to discuss their options.
Students in the new programme should be given more time to find their course, but the department said that if they had a problem, they should also seek advice from the university’s academic adviser.
You should also speak to your school to see if they can offer a new course if you are interested.
You can contact the Department of Educational Services to get more information about the changes and to find out how to apply.
What happens next?
The Department said it was working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to make changes to ensure the new policies are “fair and transparent”.
“These changes are designed to help students find their place in higher education, to encourage the development of more innovative courses, and to make sure we have the resources we need to deliver a high quality education for all our students,” a spokesperson said.
“We are also committed to ensuring that students can progress further in their studies without fear of being left behind.”
What happens to students who leave?
If students are enrolled in another degree, they will no longer be considered for a particular course, and will no more be offered courses from the same academic department.
Students will be able to choose which courses they wish to pursue in a particular university.
But they will not be allowed to transfer to another university, or to any other school.
If a student leaves school, they may have to take up a different academic course at a different university.
What will happen to students in training?
Students in training who leave school will no long be eligible for courses that were offered in their first year of study, and they will be offered a different course for that academic year.
The DES has said it will work with the Education and Training Commission to offer further support to students.
What does the government say about the change?
The DBS said the change had been announced as a response to “a major review” into the sector, but it also said it did not expect it to affect the quality or quantity of courses offered to students or the number and types of student courses offered.
It said it hoped that the new rules would improve the situation for students who are already disadvantaged in their courses.
What are the consequences of this change?
If a course is being offered, the government said it would work with universities to ensure students who have been enrolled at their schools in the previous 12 months had access, or if they did not, that students could take courses at a higher rate.
It would also work with schools to provide support to those students who did not complete their first years of study.
What do I do if I am not enrolled in my course?
If your course is no longer offered and you are unsure if you will