White working-class Britons shut out of diversity schemes by elite universities

White working class Britons have been shut out of diversity schemes at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

More than a dozen scholarships at the prestigious duo are restricted to students from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

These schemes exclude white working class students, who are one of the most under-represented groups in higher education.

Earlier this week, an inquiry into the educational outcomes of white working-class Britons found the group to be one of the most disadvantaged and underachieving in English schools.

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Critics have now warned a "two-tier" academic system is taking hold.

Suella Braverman, Reform UK's education spokeswoman, told The Telegraph: "Because of the Equality Act, white working-class families have been betrayed by a system that is designed to work against them, and this is yet another example of two-tier academic society that punishes white working class boys and girls because of who they are.

"If Oxford and Cambridge want to live up to their proud history of meritocracy, they should end these racially discriminatory programmes immediately and judge people on their talents, not their skin colour."

Analysis by the newspaper determined that more than a quarter of university bursaries and scholarships on the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (Ucas) website are specifically for international students or non-white individuals.

At Oxford and Cambridge, at least 15 scholarships, bursaries or financial aid schemes were uncovered for BAME students across undergraduate, master's and PhD programmes.

These include Cambridge's "Stormzy Scholarship" which awards 10 black British students £20,000 a year for the duration of their undergraduate course.

The university has at least six BAME-specific schemes for PhD and master's students.

At Oxford, the Academic Futures scheme - which covers full course fees for postgraduates - is offered exclusively to British Pakistani, British Bangladeshi, black students and refugees.

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The university also offers a scheme for students who are care-experienced - meaning they have lived with "non-birth parents" at some point in their life.

Since 2022, University College Oxford has offered 10 undergraduate bursaries per year under its Univ Beacon Programme for BAME students, refugees, asylum seekers, students who have spent time in care, and members of the Gypsy, Roma and traveller communities.

A 2019 report by the National Education Opportunities Network said white-working class Britons comprised just three per cent of Oxbridge students.

Laura Trott, the Shadow Education Secretary, said: "We need to end the endless stream of scholarships and financial aid schemes reserved for BAME students.

"It's time to move beyond identity-based preferences. Support should be focused on the most disadvantaged, regardless of their race or ethnicity, not to satisfy DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] targets or quotas."

The inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes, backed by the Education Secretary, found white British pupils on free school meals were half as likely to pass their English and maths GCSEs.

It recommended a "massive" expansion in apprenticeships, free local public transport for all under-21s and a smartphone ban.

The University of Oxford does offer a non-repayable annual bursary of up to £6,150 for lower-income British students, which is granted to around one in four students.

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