SM: UCAS is the central organisation for which all applicants from throughout the world apply for HE undergraduate studies in the UK. For as long as institutions have recruited internationally, they have been able to apply through UCAS. But more pro-actively I would say we’ve been supporting our members internationally for about 10 years or so.

The PIE: And do you have any idea what proportion of international applications do come through UCAS?

SM: The vast majority do, because we have a process called record of prior acceptance (RPA), so it allows institutions to have flexibility to admit applicants directly if they need to and then let UCAS know retrospectively through the RPA process.

The PIE: Ok, So I’m interested in hearing about your new international strategy. I know you have a board tasked with exploring this..

SM Yes, It’s an International Advisory Group really. It’s chaired by Dr Tim Westlake from University of Manchester who is Director of Student Experience there. We have cross-sector representation from across HEIs [higher education institutions] in the UK but also Universities UK (UUK), the British Council and UKCISA.

“We are looking to make significant changes to the process by 2016”

We committed to the sector to review “international” and hold a separate consultation which we are now doing via the international advisory board.

The PIE: What has happened so far?

SM: Where we are at so far is we have collated initial information; the second stage of which, that we have also completed, is a  survey that has gone out to all 324 HEIs, it’s gone to heads of Admissions as well as Directors of International departments, asking them how to respond so we can shape our application process, to best serve their needs.

This is all underpinned by a steering group – again with cross-sector representation from HEIs – they will look at our analysis, put together some regional focus groups, and we are looking to make significant changes to the process by 2016.

The PIE: Ok, what sort of changes do you think you’ll be making?

SM: It’s hard to say at the moment. But things coming out fairly strongly would be for institutions to have the ability to make offer to an applicant as and when they want in-country.

Certainly working with UKBA and the issuing of CaS is something we want look at

And that we have greater efficiencies through working more closely with UKBA and perhaps other agencies such as BIS through their strategies and the British Council.

Certainly working with UKBA and the issuing of CaS [Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies] is something we want look at in terms of perhaps being able to streamline that process as well.

[To explain, at the moment HEIs confirm to UKBA that a CaS has been offered and UKBA then issues a CaS number for the student back to the university].

The PIE: That’s really interesting. You also mentioned something about a qualification verification system at your presentation at the BUILA conference..

SM: At the moment, we have a fraud and verification system and one of the reasons why UCAS is held in such high esteem is that all applications go through fraud and verification checks; this picks up any plagiarism in applications and this is notified to institutions.

In the same regard, because we have links to awarding bodies in the vast majority of cases, such as A levels, some IB and through to the Hong Kong diploma, we get those results directly from awarding body, so we are able to populate students’ applications [with exam results] once they have fulfilled requirements.

The other process we have is UCAS Tariff, run by a separate team, and we are looking at being able to provide fuller information to members to be able to equate overseas qualifications with British qualifications.

The PIE: Is UCAS is funded by membership fees? [more >]