A university is offering money to students who volunteer to defer their entry for a year, amid chaos around admissions following the A-level results debacle.
Durham University, Durham, England, has promised to honour all offers that were met by would-be undergraduates, but said it would provide incentives to those willing to delay their studies.
In an email sent to students and posted on the university’s website, a statement said “capacity issues caused by this unprecedented situation” meant it was possible some of those who only fulfilled their offer requirements after the government U-turn on Monday would have to wait until 2021 to start.
It said students willing to defer until 2021 would benefit from guaranteed accommodation, and bursaries “to help with their transition to university life”.
The amount available under the bursaries has not been specified, but the statement added that students who had already had places confirmed for this year would also be eligible for the incentives.
It came as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned less prestigious universities could face “financially crippling” losses due to the exams fiasco, describing the government’s handling of the situation as a “clear fail”.
A-level students in England were told on Monday they could use teachers’ recommended grades if they were higher than moderated grades they received four days before.
