Skills set

Universities are front page news again, but not because Skills England has launched

The last time universities were on the front page of the Sunday Times, it was when the newspaper “exposed” the use of agents to recruit international students. There was also an attempt to claim that these students were being recruited at the expense of domestic students by using a false equivalence—comparing pathway programme recruitment to full degree offers.

Since then, Universities UK has confirmed that although the money gleaned from overseas students actually helps universities to expand provision to students at home and from abroad, there is some evidence that universities have been practising favouritism towards the more lucrative international applicants.