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universities have lost access to objective, even before charges are tripled

A quarter of English universities did not achieve its objectives to help disadvantaged students substantially last year, a government watchdog has revealed.

Cambridge, Bristol, Exeter, Durham and University College London are among the 23 institutions that support adequate progress in expanding its mix of candidates in 2009-10 - leading to accusations of that the contribution of universities are very selective "more privileged." David Willetts, the Minister of Universities, said the report was proof that social mobility has stalled.

The revelation, in the annual monitoring report of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), renewed fears that disadvantaged adolescents are excluded from some of the best universities.

The 23 institutions include universities and other educational institutions to the degree granting powers. In addition, 21 universities that offer degrees to achieve their goals either.

Since 2006, universities and colleges have been allowed to charge "top-up" fee - currently just over £ 3,000 a year - provided that the increase in the proportion of candidates that have been in care from families with low income or disabled. Institutions set their own goals, but are asked to compare themselves to their competitors.

Universities and Colleges have received nearly £ 474m

the Higher Education Funding Council last year to invest in scholarships and activities of "diffusion". They were given money or missed their targets.

Sir Martin Harris, director of Offa, expressed concern that a quarter of the universities had not achieved its goals and discusses their results. Offa would not reveal what the goals of the university was. But to give an idea of ??what is produced, 12.6% of students in Cambridge in 2009/10 came from households with annual incomes below £ 25,000.

The Government intends to introduce legislation to give the power of Offa excellent universities and colleges who make insufficient progress in expanding access, and - in extreme cases - to demand lower prices. Willetts said: "We must see real progress in equitable access, particularly in our most selective institutions."

Wes Streeting, executive director of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentoring to disadvantaged students, said he was "very worrying" that the university had not done enough progress in widening participation. "This is before costs to triple next year. It is difficult to see how things will get better before they escalate, "he said. Many of the poorest families felt universitywas now inaccessible.

Russell Group, representing 20 elite universities, said that misunderstandings about the costs and benefits of college education and lack of confidence of potential candidates were partly to blame for the goals are not met. "A level (and equivalent) results in the right materials are more important than money to decide whether a student will go to Russell Group university," said Wendy Piatt, director general of the group.

Cambridge, said that manages hundreds of events each year to raise the educational aspirations of disadvantaged students. A spokesman said his long-term goal was to admit more students from underrepresented groups as part of our admissions policy and "without compromising the standards of entry."

Lee Elliot Major, director of research at the Sutton Foundation, a charitable organization that promotes social mobility through education, said consumption was the most selective universities "more privileged. . . This is excluding half of the children Fund, not just the poorest households. "He said that if there had been" halting progress "in expanding access, there was little understanding of this type of communication worked." Universities could do more. Not just on how universities spend the most on this, but what we do. We are far from understanding what works and what does not in terms of awareness. "

Offa

calculate the amount of additional income that universities receive tuition was spent recruiting and encouraging poor students to take the seat. We found that last year institutions increased by 25.1% (£ 395m) of increased access additional revenue, compared to 25.8% (£ 344m) last year. The percentage spent on education, such as visits to schools was 2.4% of additional revenue last year -. Lowest for at least four years

The average grant given to students from low-income households was £ 935, £ 942 compared to the previous year.

The report shows big differences: the University of Sunderland has increased from 42.9% of additional revenue in grants, scholarships and outreach activities, while Middlesex went from 9%. The proportion of students from households with annual incomes below £ 25 000 ranged from 50.1% at the University of Bolton to 10.1% in the Courtauld Institute of Art. At Oxford, it was 14.4%.

Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, said: "The chance to support the training of students in universities is that universities with the best record in the recruitment of non-traditional settings are less money to spend per student.

"Universities with access to the poorest records falsely claim success because it has more funds available for a small group of students."

Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said. "Concerns are beginning to express the level of increased participation in activities offered in the future may decrease" Restrictions on the number of students and higher costs can have a disproportionate impact on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

universities with the intention to charge between 6000 and 9000 pounds per year in the fall of 2012 called for more stringent targets set for the expansion of its group of students. For the first time will set a goal to expand the range of students entering college, not just those that apply.

missed targets

The 23 universities that have not achieved its objectives to help disadvantaged students:
Conservatory of Dance and Theatre

Courtauld Institute of Art