Universities say they’ll take more disadvantaged Students

Universities in England have agreed to take more students from disadvantaged homes, according to the Office for Fair Access.

Institutions have also agreed to spend £750m on outreach activities, bursaries and waiving fees for poorer youngsters.

The heas of the Office for Fair Access, Les Ebdon, said the new agreements with universities from 2016 would make a "lasting difference".

The government wants to double the rates of the most disadvantaged youngsters entering university by 2020.

However just last week, chancellor George Osborne scrapped maintenance grants for students from low-income backgrounds, converting them into loans that must be repaid.

Some interest groups fear this could have an effect on the number of students from poorer homes choosing to go to university.

Since the tuition fees increase in 2012, universities have had to show how they intend to broaden access to their courses in the light of these higher fees. These agreements are then cleared by the Office for Fair Access.