Cambridge University abandons state-school targets

Cambridge University is preparing to scrap its state school admissions targets. Currently, the university aims to accept 69.1 per cent of its students from state-funded schools (which 93 per cent of English schoolchildren attend). The new access plan – first revealed by Cambridge’s Varsity student newspaper – will focus on other factors including an applicant’s socio-economic status, ethnicity, if they live in an underrepresented region and whether they received free school meals. On the surface it makes sense: Cambridge’s vice-chancellor has admitted admissions are “skewed” towards London and the south east, for example. But any admission targets under the new model have not been released and it comes as state school students find fewer options elsewhere: universities are strapped for cash and are responding by merging institutions; scrapping courses or boosting numbers of overseas students (who pay more).