“While UCAS has suggested universities across the UK may be more flexible this year, the situation in Northern Ireland is more complicated.”
Queen’s University Belfast have said it will not be allowed to accept more homegrown students this year, despite UCAS saying a record number of UK teens will get their first choice of university this summer.
Dr Jo Saxton of UCAS (Universities and College Admissions Service) has said more teenagers in the UK will have their first choice of university this year due to “uncertainty” over the number of international students.
She also stated they could “quite possibly” accept students who did not get the grades their offer required, as homegrown students offer “stability” for “financial planning”.
Despite this, Queen’s University have stated they will not be afforded this opportunity, as they are limited to a Maximum Student Number (MaSN) cap set by the Northern Ireland Executive.
The cap is based on available funding and is intended to control costs, however, it has previously been criticised as an “economic handbrake” by MPs, reportedly making it harder to attract investment while impeding business growth.
The cap does not affect how many students universities can accept from the rest of the UK and internationally.
Figures published in 2023 showed that over 30% of students raised in Northern Ireland will go elsewhere in the UK to study. This number is projected to double by 2030.
Professor Sir Ian Greer, Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, has told Belfast Live the situation is “clearly unfair”.
He stated: “While UCAS has suggested universities across the UK may be more flexible this year, the situation in Northern Ireland is more complicated.
“Unlike other parts of the UK, undergraduate places for local students in Northern Ireland are part-funded by the Executive, meaning there is a fixed limit on how many students we can admit from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, set by the Department for the Economy.”
“This cap does not apply to students outside of the island of Ireland, which means we have no limit on the number of students we can take from Great Britain and internationally, but we are limited by law on the number of home students we can take from NI and ROI. This is clearly an unfair and unsustainable approach.
“I have been repeatedly vocal about this inequality. Queen’s will continue to press for reform of the higher education funding model in Northern Ireland and we urge all the Executive parties to work with us to find a sustainable solution – one that supports our students and their families, while protecting and enhancing the socioeconomic future of our region.”
A spokesperson from Ulster University also commented to Belfast Live on the matter, stating: “Anyone who meets the conditions of their offer will have a place at Ulster University. On results day applicants should check UCAS hub for updates and accept their place as soon as possible so that they can move to enrolment.
“Applications to Ulster University have increased and so we will endeavour to use the maximum flexibility afforded.”
A Level results are set to be released on Thursday, 14 August. Students will be able to collect their results from their school or college, and their UCAS status will be updated on the UCAS hub at around 8:15 am.
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