The problem with the student loans system is that ... very few people understand the student loans system...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
23.02.2026 12:05
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The problem with the student loans system is that ... very few people understand the student loans system...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
❄️Our winter seminar series kicks off next week, with the excellent @hettieburn.bsky.social ❄️
She will be talking about her work on play based learning in early childhood
3pm on Thursday 22nd January
sign up below:
ucl.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#winterofnewcontent
this morning, our director @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social will be part of a panel discussing 'How can policy tackle regional inequalities?' with @andyburnham.bsky.social
@xiaoweixu.bsky.social
@theifs.bsky.social
ifs.org.uk/events/how-c...
Likewise!
And here's @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social presenting her work on inequalities in access to the professions.
Thanks to our funders @nuffieldfoundation.org and
diversityandproductivity.com/about
Excited to be here at @appam.bsky.social to present our work on inequalities in access to occupations, as part of a panel session on labor market transitions organised by @jscottclayton.bsky.social
Have you checked out our @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social working paper series recently?
We've had a productive year, with our researchers investigating topics such as
teacher assessed v exam grades
the impact of t-levels
the labour market talent pool
econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...
CEPEO welcomes the announcements from this week’s education and skills white paper of index-linking tuition fees and maintenance loans, as well as the return of some non-repayable maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. [1/7] 🧵
New research from our centre with important implications for assessment
New work: do teachers grade some student types more generously than others? (yes)
Important evidence for policymakers considering reducing the use of standardised testing.
And a great paper to work on with my colleagues @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social @opmc1.bsky.social @richmurphy-econ.bsky.social
we could... and we do!
We do now :) www.publicfirst.co.uk/couting-the-...
Demand is a lot more elastic for non EU students than the previous estimates of EU students, so we’d expect to see a bigger drop off than the HO estimated
See more on HE's problems and solutions in our @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social briefing note:
ideas.repec.org/p/ucl/cepeob...
The grants will be paid for "by a new levy on international student fees."
Again no details. But assuming the unis will have to pay the levy, and will pass it on to students
Its success will depend on how inelastic international student demand is. We don't have great evidence on this.
The grants will be targeted at students on "priority courses"
This could improve match between students and their degrees by signalling high value courses
Would benefit disadvantaged kids who are more likely to "undermatch"
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
but will also narrow options
Many of us have been calling for the return of maintenance grants for a long time.
So its great to see this is finally (albeit partially) on the cards.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
New @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social working paper!
Estimating heterogeneous returns to college by cognitive and non-cognitive ability
by our @opmc1.bsky.social
econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucl:ce...
GCSE results are out:
On the surface, today’s results seem cause for relative optimism.
Despite this cohort’s tough time — both final year at primary & first year of secondary were disrupted by COVID; rates of SEND and mental health issues also up among this group — there’s no results drop off.
Two female students pointing to a desktop screen and discussing. Mat Wright for UCL.
Our academics on A-Level results day
@gillwyness.bsky.social: The slight improvement in those with top grades "masks striking inequalities in achievement"
@miriched.bsky.social: It's unsurprising universities are increasing recruitment "because funding is difficult to manage”
uclioe.info/4fCqEup
👋
Do students who follow the "traditional" education pathway (A levels to HE) fare better than those following "non-standard" vocational / mixed pathways - including the infamous T Level?
Our PhD student @robbiemaris.bsky.social
has the answers, in his new paper:
A level results are out! And as many have reported, there was an overall improvement in the proportion of students gaining the top grades.
But its not good news for everyone: with London & the South East continuing to pull away from the rest of the country, and boys slightly ahead of girls.
Today the DfE have published their latest stats on widening participation in HE. Here are a few quick thoughts...
explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...
My colleague @dominicpkelly.bsky.social has written a @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social briefing note which looks at how screen time in early childhood (0–5) affects attention and language development.
Read it below:
That BBC screen time story that just hit your home screen?
Our new policy briefing is the must-read for parents, policymakers, and childcare providers: 3 clear, actionable recommendations based on the latest evidence on screen time and cognitive development.
🔗 econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...
The disparities appear to be linked to greater pupil confidence, lower risk aversion, and stronger financial safety nets among private-school students.
Parental strategy and school-level resources also play a role, with private institutions offering superior guidance
and support.
Mechanisms: Its all about university application behavior.
Even the weakest private school students aim higher than their higher achieving state school peers.
Private school students are more likely to overmatch - enrol in more selective uni courses than expected given their grades
This is especially true for low attaining students: where private-school pupils enrol in courses as much as 15 percentiles higher than low attainers from other school types
In the UK, students from fee-paying private schools make up only 7% of the student body at age 16, yet elite positions in society (such as judges and civil servants) are dominated by their alumni.
Our aim is to understand the role these schools play in promoting access to selective universities.
📝New @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social working paper
Why are students from elite high schools much more likely to go to high ranked university courses than equally qualified students from the state sector? 🤔
w @opmc1.bsky.social @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social & Jo Blanden
econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucl:ce...