A recent report by the agency in charge of widening access to higher education suggests that young people from poorer backgrounds are still struggling to get into top universities. Such figures revealed wealthier young people are seven times more likely to obtain places at England’s top 20 universities than those who are disadvantaged. What is particularly worrying is that there has been no significant change in the percentages of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds accepted into universities since the mid-1990s.

In order to improve this situation, Sir Martin Harris, director of the Office for Fair Access, claims that potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds need to be identified and supported from an earlier age, before GCSE decisions are made, as such bright youngsters do not realise their own potential. He adds that the UK’s top universities need to provide better advice and guidance for prospective applicants so as to encourage disadvantaged youngsters to apply in full knowledge of what is on offer to them, including bursaries and scholarships.

CampusAli says: Bright prospective students from any background need to be identified so their skills and abilities can be developed to their true potential. It must be recognised that bright individuals can be found outside of privileged public schools and must be sought out by universities and potential employers.