The marginalisation of short-cycle courses in English higher education: addressing the unintended outcomes of policy

Abstract

Over the past thirty years Higher Education (HE) in England has transitioned from being a relatively small elite system to being a mass system, with some of the features of a universal system (Trow, 2007). Yet, the number of mature part-time undergraduate entrants to English Higher Education (commencing their courses aged 21 or over) has declined significantly in the past ten years (Hubble & Bolton, 2021). This article discusses one aspect of this decline, the marginalisation of short-cycle courses leading to technical qualifications below bachelor’s degree level. These courses have traditionally attracted part-time mature students and they lead to long-established qualifications that are well-recognised by employers. The government’s emphasis on full-time bachelor’s degree courses for students starting under the age of 21 has, however, had the unintended outcome of making these short-cycle courses much less attractive for universities and for students. This article explains that student funding is the most significant barrier to participation, but universities also need to make adjustments if more part-time mature students are to access these short-cycle courses.