Oxbridge loses out as top Brit students head to US

LONDON: Why would British students turn down a place at prestigious institutions like Oxford or Cambridge? It’s not a choice many will ever face. But it’s exactly what and a growing number of the most brilliant UK students are doing.

Young students are riding the crest of a brain drain — turning down offers from top British universities to study at Ivy League institutions.

Figures reported by The Sunday Times from the Ivy League of eight American universities show that there was a 38% increase in the number of British undergraduates starting courses in 2007 compared with 2006.

Harvard nearly doubled its numbers – from eight to 15 – and is keen to attract more with a recruitment drive in state schools.

Up to now the sums have put off most British students. It can cost up to £23,000 a year to attend an Ivy League university – a figure that dwarfs the £3,000 that British universities are able to charge.

US admissions officers are keen to emphasise that there are numerous grants on offer. Last week an Oxford spokeswoman, where 150 students turn down places each year, acknowledged that “there is no way we can compete with some of these financial packages”.

It’s not just for academic brilliance that full scholarships are awarded – American universities scout out sporting talent, too. Last year seven football-mad pupils from Monkseaton won “soccer scholarships” to American universities, each worth £15,000-£25,000 a year.

“These pupils are so good they are spoilt for choice, but it’s only in recent years that they have chosen to go the American route,” explains Graham Lacey, the deputy head teacher. “It’s largely for financial reasons — they get a better deal there.”