The University of York has revealed a severe shortage of places for home students in this year’s Clearing and Adjustment cycles.
With A-Level results released today, many students may find themselves going through UCAS’ Clearing system if they have missed their expected grades for university entry. Similarly, those that surpassed their original grades are able to ‘Adjust’ to a better university or course.
Speaking exclusively to Vision, a University spokesman noted that the University expected “to fill the vast majority of our places with current applicants following the release of A level and other results but will probably have a small number of places in a limited number of departments available in Clearing.”
York’s official Clearing and Adjustment site shows 24 subjects offering places to overseas students, out of a total 32 Undergraduate subjects offered by the University. Of these, 7 have places for home students and 7 have no spaces available at all.
The University was unable to comment as to whether any subjects would be heavily oversubscribed in time for October, as was the case last year with a handful of courses. One of those, English and Related Literature, is this year offering places to overseas students as part of Clearing or Adjustment.
Although one second-year student said that “this seems to reflect the University systems ongoing focus on international students, whilst ignoring the needs of students much closer to home, who may be without university places this year,” a University spokesman has said to Vision that “Home and overseas students are not in competition for places.”
“We shall be admitting approximately 3,000 home students and 350 overseas students this year. We have a contract from the Government to teach a certain number of home students. If we were to go over that contracted quota, we would be fined. Some of the Departments listed as seeking overseas students might be looking for perhaps just one or two.”
Describing itself as a “truly international university”, York has a reputation for having a high number of international students alongside its home ones. This became particularly controversial when an exclusive investigation by Vision revealed Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor’s high travel expense claims earlier this year, which at the time the University commented on to say that “York has a hard-earned reputation as one of the world’s leading universities, which in turn brings significant benefits to our students. International travel is a necessary part of maintaining and developing that global standing.”
Prospective students wishing to use University clearing or adjustment should visit the official website at http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/uao/clearing/
This is the most outwardly xenophobic piece of sensationalism I’ve ever read in the campus press. Unfortunately Mr Virides, you sub-standard hack, the story has been buried by your incompetence in the 8th paragraph. The Uni can only take a certain number of home students, so if they have been filled, only places for international students can be filled. I’m suprised YUSU have even allowed this to be published – it’s flagrantly attempting to paint international students as “others” who steal places at the University.
Calling this article Xenophobic is a bit of an exaggeration.
It simply states that there are more places left available for international students than there are for domestic students.
Yes the University has a quota of domestic students, which it receives funding for from the Government, but this number is set by the University, so it is the University who initially decides how many of its places are for Domestic or International students. The quota simply stops the University from subsequently taking on lots more domestic students, at an extra cost for the government.
It is undeniable that the University has budgeted to take a high proportion of International students, and the big fees they bring with them.
I hope I haven’t been xenophobic.
“but this number is set by the University”
Not xenophobic, David, just wrong.
The number is set by HEFCE. The University is told each year how many home students it can take, because at the moment, while each home undergrad pays £3,400, the government pays £10k+ for each home student on top of that. International students pay the entire amount.
So even if York wanted to take more Home students, it couldn’t.
The article is pre-judicial in tone; furthermore, it’s unclear what justification the writer had for pursuing such a tone, given that the University spokesperson’s quote showed it to be without foundation.
York Vision, whether they like it or not, includes international students within its readership. The student union funds them on the basis that their published content is representative of ALL student’s interests, irrespective of race, class, gender or nationality. If its writers wish to entertain divisive opinions on its website/in its newspaper, then by all means they should be allowed to do so – so long as they present their indulgences to the wider world via a comment piece format, rather than as news items (which, in the latter case, would imply that latent xenophobia is part-and-parcel of York Vision’s editorial line).
As an international student who will be enrolling into York this coming October, I feel that the subtitle of this article is a gross misrepresentation of the actual facts with regards to enrollment of Home students and International students. Quite frankly, I am appalled by the fact-twisting and the slight twinge of xenophobia that this piece contains.
Firstly, as the above commentators rightfully added– Home students and International students are not competing for the same places– there are different quotas set aside for each. UCAS has already made this clear. Hence, this piece’s subtitle “Overseas students offered clearing places while home students left high and dry.” is completely inaccurate. We do not compete with Home students for places– Home students compete with fellow Home students for places, so if one is a Home student who unfortunately is unable to get a space in York, one should just blame his/her own less competitive A level grades instead of trying to pass it off as International students taking their place.
Hence, Mr. Virides, there is no need to sensationalize newspaper headlines just to achieve increased readership for your writing. This is one of the journalistic no-nos, and I am quite disappointed to see this present in York Vision.
Secondly, this is clearly an opinion piece, since divisive opinions were put out in the light and fact-checking is hardly even evident in the article. Why is this disguised as news?
Wow, everyone does seem to have got a bit excited about this article.
Although, as has been pointed out, it is not the University’s fault that there were fewer places left for Domestic students, this is a news story, as it is an example of a) the increased competition for domestic university places this year and b) as most national news sources have commented on, due to the cap on the number of domestic students enforced by the government, Universities have focused on international students as a source of revenue.
The article puts forward the point of view of the University, and states that they cannot admit any more domestic students, it is quite neutral in tone.
And although it seems the subtitle has been moderated since Brina’s comment, ‘Overseas students offered clearing places while home students left high and dry’ isn’t twisting anything, there were places for overseas students, on courses which were full for domestic students.
I am sorry if some people think it is wrong to discuss these issues, but surely we can look at the effects that the current system is having on domestic students, and how the funding crisis is encouraging Universities to look to international students without descending into quite frankly lazy accusation os xenophobia.
The article explains clearly that home and international students are not competing for places, how can anyone read the article and not understand this?
The article never criticises the fact the University has international students, it merely states, quite correctly that there are places available for overseas students in courses which are full for domestic students. This is not a criticism of international students, but is stating that the current system has left many domestic students struggling for places this year, a criticism of the system by which University places are not meeting the demand.
So yes Brina, I agree, students who missed out on places shouldn’t look to blame international students, and this article makes this perfectly clear. The blame should be placed at the door of the University system in Britain, the consequences of which are further demonstrated by the facts that this article discuss, that many domestic students will not get into the University of their choice this year.
Thank you for editing the tone of this article to a more moderate and neutral one– this is much appreciated.
On another note, it is definitely not wrong to discuss such issues– we do live in a democracy after all, and open discussion on issues (even those commonly regarded as sensitive) is the best way to defeat any prejudice and ignorance.
Just to be clear, EU students are considered to be home students as well, so they too are adversely affected by this.
It is wrong to imply that all international students are being favoured. In reality it is only those who pay four times as much, and you can hardly wonder why.