| answer text |
<p>The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the
opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background. The
latest data shows the application and entry rates for young people from disadvantaged
backgrounds are at record levels.</p><p>An equality assessment was performed in relation
to the Higher Education and Research Bill, which covers the potential impacts of the
introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and its link to student tuition
fees on protected and disadvantaged groups. This can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-and-research-bill-equality-analysis"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-and-research-bill-equality-analysis</a></p><p>The
Secretary of State will also consider the impact of changes to student support and
tuition fees for 2017/18 on protected and disadvantaged groups, as required by the
Public Sector Equality Duty, before the secondary legislation that will implement
these changes is laid before Parliament. The equality analysis covering these changes,
including the potential impact of tuition fee rises up to an inflationary-linked fee
cap for providers successful in TEF Year One, will be published alongside these regulations.</p>
|
|
