UK university applicants without a pass in English GCSE will no longer be eligible for tuition and maintenance loans, under plans reportedly being considered by the Department for Education (DfE).
Prospective students could be blocked from receiving government-backed finance for higher education if they failed to meet minimum grade requirements.
The move would have serious implications for both providers and the number of young people entering higher education, with recent analysis suggesting one in 12 UK-based undergraduates starting a full-time degree has no formal qualifications.
According to The Guardian, ministers are now discussing the possibility of making a pass in English GCSE the threshold for being able to access loans via the Student Loans Company.
A DfE spokesperson told the paper the department would not comment on speculation, but said: “We are restoring our world-class universities as engines of opportunity, aspiration and growth.
