What inducements might universities offer

[Jewel1968]

Was told by teacher to beware some universities offering unconditional or inducements to secure a place. My DD is predicted very high grades. I am curious about what inducements might be offered. He did tell us to ignore them but we struggle financially so am intrigued.

but Oxbridge is mostly state school these days and is much cheaper than most other places (short terms, lots of subsidy etc),

Cheap college rents too.

Great post @Xenia

@Xenia I hear you.

At sixth form level 20% of children are in private schools. Oxbridge is 70% state schools so only about 10% not reflecting the private v state percentages, which is fair enough as the private schools do teach fairly well and take children of parents able to pay fees and also because plenty at private schools who get to Oxbridge are on bursaries. I think the 80/20 v 70/30 difference is justifiable.

Thank goodness they stopped the unconditional offer trend.

They haven't. On the WIWIKAU Facebook page loads of students received unconditional offers from the usual suspects. Portsmouth seemed to be mentioned quite frequently. Lincoln still hands out loads of unconditionals.

Ds2 was predicted 4 a* s and got them but wasn't offered any bribes ( except accommodation in the castle at Durham)
Dd2 also predicted 4 A* s just applied to ucas.we'll see!

4 Bs?? It sounds like very much a lower tier university.

@fUNNYfACE36 Lower tier?

Depends on your ranking system. People on here go mad for a certain RG institution not far from me. They shut their Chemistry and Music departments 20 years ago and only opened a medical school so they could join the exclusive RG clique. DD2's course is well-regarded and has excellent employment prospects. But go ahead and call it lower tier...

I wouldn't call a BBBB offer a lower tier university either.

@user29 Durham castle accommodation sounds attractive 😊. Did he take it?

4 Bs wasn't the offer. It was what the student had to get to get the inducement

I don't know why you are being so sniffy about it. Her inducement was the points equivalent of 4 Bs but was actually 150 UCAS points. DD happened to be doing 4 A levels so it worked out as 4 B grades. If you were doing 3 A levels, you would need 3 A grades to make it. People get Oxbridge offers of 3 As, so it's hardly a low offer.

Thing is, most of the high-flying universities don’t use U AS points. My place would not accept 4 Bs when they’d asked for 3 As even if the total of points were the same. Because it’s harder to get an A/A star than a B, obviously.

Sorry should have added: 4 Bs is not equivalent to 3As.

Sorry should have added: 4 Bs is not equivalent to 3As.

This is why universities ask for 3 excellent A level grades. DD wouldn't have been accepted on her course with BBBB.

That said BBBB isn't shabby at all.

Her inducement was the points equivalent of 4 Bs but was actually 150 UCAS points. DD happened to be doing 4 A levels so it worked out as 4 B grades. If you were doing 3 A levels, you would need 3 A grades to make it.

3As = 144. So actually at least A*AA from 'only' 3, if the 'inducement' was pitched at the same total, regardless of the number of A levels being taken.

Since most only take 3 now, the threshold for this 'inducement' would actually be quite a high bar.

I know that this thread is about top academic universities! But for those going into the arts (visual or performing), unconditional offers are still a very common currency if they really like your portfolio or audition. So people pursuing that route shouldn't be scared off by them.

(My DD, who is at art school, was also awarded a 'merit scholarship' for her entirely modest A level results. However, this was more of a 'pat on the back' than an inducement as it wasn't paid to her, but deducted from her tuition fees for the year, where it will have a very small effect on her overall debt!)

1. Absolutely
2. 🙄- I'm sure that your DD was, rightly, chuffed at the recognition of her efforts and I know the '£1000 off your tuition fees' type awards look great (especially to those not taking loans, but, sadly, also to those taking loans but not fully understanding the system), but seriously, an actual cash sum, or even, an allowance specifically towards required additional course expenses, would be of more practical help?!

@MarchingFrogs Being realistic, DD won't pay off her loan in thirty years (at least if she ends up as an artist) so the 'discount' is entirely notional from her point of view. It certainly didn't influence her choice of course. You're right that it is highly misleading (mainly because many people don't really understand the finances).

Dd is at Durham doing stem. She got an early offer (November) from Durham and then a few weeks later, they said they would lower the offer if she firmed them. A* AA entry became AAB on firming. She got 3 A stars and an A in the end but it definitely took the pressure off.

Dd got offered £3k a year bursary but that was very course specific, she had to apply for it wasn't automatic but they did tell her - not income related except you couldn't earn over £60k I think

Bristol were offering a bursary for women going into their physics course a couple of years back. This wasn't means tested.

Great. When was this and what were her predicteds?

Her predicted grades were exactly what she got ( the A was an epq)
I should add that the typical entrance requirement ( as per uni website) says A*AA….She was initially offered AAA and then AAB if firmed.
Shes just started her second year.