“It takes more than a degree to smash the class ceiling”
Readers respond to the King’s College vice-chancellor’s argument that a degree is no longer a passport to social mobility, with letters pointing out that networks, unpaid internships and geography do more to decide graduate outcomes than the degree itself, and that a separate set of letters takes issue with the Cambridge college recruiting at private schools. Together they are the clearest public argument this month about who higher education actually serves.
What the data says about care-experienced and estranged applicants
HEPI examines application and entry data for students who have been in care or are estranged from their families — the groups least likely to have anyone to ask about student finance, accommodation over Christmas, or what to do when something goes wrong. Both groups qualify for support most universities do not advertise well, including year-round accommodation and bursaries. Student finance explained covers the independent student assessment.
A main study space closes until 2027
Warwick’s University House, home of the Learning Grid, has shut for maintenance until 2027, taking a principal study space out of use and relocating staff. Library closures and refurbishments arrive with little notice and change where a term’s work gets done, so it is worth finding the second-best space before everyone else does. Where to study beyond the library covers the options.