Oxford has stood against the latest government proposals on university admissions this week, with many students and tutors expressing outrage.
Under the plans, top universities could be allowed to introduce extra places for those prepared to pay higher fees.
Candidates would still have to meet the course entry requirements; however those who take up the places may be charged as much as international undergraduates.
At top universities these fees range from £12,000 a year for arts subjects to £18,000 for science courses, and more than £28,000 for medicine.
Students who take up the extra places would not be eligible for publicly funded loans to pay tuition fees or living costs, limiting this option to all but the wealthiest.
On Wednesday afternoon, Oxford academics and students assembled at the “parliament of dons” to lead the fightback against the proposals.
Students from OUSU and college JCRs called on the university to go one step further and pass a vote of no confidence in Universities Minister David Willetts at the next Congregation meeting.
Willetts has however been forced to clarify the proposals, issuing a statement that emphasised that any plans would have to “pass the test of improving social mobility”.
Despite this, some members of Congregation believe that the vote would be a good way to signal Oxford’s intent to take a firm stand.
The call was picked up by a number of academics, and is now subject to detailed talks between student leaders and those academics likely to propose such a motion.
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Ministers have argued that the introduction of extra places will boost social mobility by freeing up more publicly subsidised places for teenagers from poorer homes.
However, critics of the scheme see it as a chance for universities to “auction off places” to the rich.
John Parrington, a tutor at Worcester strongly opposed to the higher education cuts, said, “the government’s latest proposals betray what I think is their ultimate agenda, that is, the privatisation of our universities.
“I think that they show that this government is perfectly happy for rich students to be able to bypass the normal procedures of entry into top universities.”
OUSU President David Barclay, who also attended Wednesday’s meeting, has said that, “allowing the richest students to buy places at our top universities would be a disaster for social mobility, entrenching the idea that economic means entitles you to privileged access to top education.”
When asked for their opinions, Oxford undergraduates had mixed reactions.
One first year student said, “I am shocked to hear of such a scheme. Money should not be of any advantage for any type of university place.
“It is a step back in history meaning that Oxford would once again belong to the privileged.”
However, another student remarked “not that I support this move at all, but it is what has been going on for a while in some universities that admit a large quota of students from outside Europe, who then have to pay very high fees.
“Not that they don’t deserve their places but, just as within the UK, they are no more entitled to them than people who can’t pay.”
A spokesperson for Oxford University has issued a statement saying,
“Admission to Oxford is, and will remain, based solely on academic merit.”
“As well as being committed to a merit-based admissions policy, Oxford could not just ‘take in more students’… A collegiate university system like Oxford’s is limited in the number of students it can take.”
The controversy comes as the government announced that it is launching a new information initiative designed to enlighten students about the changes to the student finance system in 2012.
NUS President Aaron Porter described the move as a welcome one, but condemned the information as “inaccurate and potentially confusing”.
Andris Rudzitis, a Pembroke first year, agreed that the campaign is not sufficiently clear.
He added, “How can the government be running a public information campaign when… it’s still unsure exactly what financial help students are going to receive?
“And now with disorder stirring regarding the alleged allocation of places to privately funded students, you can’t expect the prospective student to feel anything but confusion and doubt as to what choices they have financially.”
However, OUCA member and Corpus Christi student, Henry Evans, said, “I’d say that there can hardly be too much information about support of this kind, especially for those who need it, but as far as I’m aware the information is out there and easily available for those who want it”.
The campaign also reveals that taking out a student loan will affect a graduate’s ability to borrow money from the bank in later life.
Porter commented, “Despite repeated assertions that taking out a student loan will not affect a graduate’s ability to get a mortgage, the Government has finally admitted that repayments can affect lenders’ decisions”.
Willetts said, “We must ensure that prospective students are not put off applying to university because they do not understand the new system.”
