The number of students deferring their places at UK universities has dropped 17 per cent, as the popularity of the gap year falls.
Sandwiched between A-levels and the beginning of university, the gap year was once seen as a formative time for young people to go out into the wider world, explore, learn and party.
But this year about 4,100 fewer British and international students opted to push back the beginning of their university courses, figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service show. The number fell from 24,230 recorded last year to 20,130 — a drop of slightly over 17 per cent.
When it came to 17 and 18-year-olds there were 3,320 fewer deferrals, down from 19,480 to 16,160.
The cohort of 16,160 school leavers seeking a year away from study makes up 5.4 per cent of the overall number of 17 and 18-year-olds who have secured places at university, down from 6.5 per cent of last year's total.
"There's been a drop in deferrals this year, bringing the number closer to the usual number we see given the larger number of applications this year," a Ucas representative said. "This shows students feel confident and eager about progressing to higher education."
Students seeking to defer their place at university can go about it via two routes — appealing to the institution to push back their start date or reapply to the course next year.
As students received their A-level results last week, Ucas published a video on Twitter to remind them it is not too late to take a gap year.
“You can consider deferring, in which case you need to speak to the university or college that you currently hold your place at and ask them whether that’s an option for you,” advises the Ucas expert in the clip.
“It may not be possible in all situations, particularly for very selective courses or courses where that break in your academic learning might impact your success on the course.
“But for a majority of universities and colleges, a deferral is an option. And then of course, you can always consider reapplying next year once you’ve done that gap year.”
There has also been a shift among British students in the trend to fly the nest and attend a university far away from home, with increasing numbers choosing to live at home while they study.
The cost-of-living crisis has forced students to reconsider a university experience away from home as they seek to save money on accommodation, food and other bills.
De Montfort University in Leicester is among institutions that have recorded a rise in the number of applications from local students.
Katie Normington, chancellor of De Montfort, said the university was “five or six times busier than we were last year” with pupils looking for places.
“Some interesting patterns really are local students are up, so about three more percentage points of students who have got a Leicester postcode and coming to us,” she told Sky News.
“So a sort of shift to people wanting to perhaps stay a bit closer to home. That will be to do with the economics of it and wanting to live at home while they study.”
Despite the majority of students receiving their A-level, BTec and T-level exam results last Thursday, some candidates in England and Wales who took BTec qualifications still have no news of their grades.
Some students who took Cambridge Technical results have also been affected by the delay.
Ofqual, the exams regulator in England, confirmed on Monday evening that while “good progress” was being made, some awarding organisations were still processing results.
A representative said Ofqual’s “first priority is students expecting results this year”, but added that it is “clearly important that we review what has happened to make sure that students in future years receive results when they expect them”.
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
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Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
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The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
