Seven oxford colleges were joining today forces to attract more students from poorer backgrounds.
The consortium is hoping for a huge increase in the number of students from the state sector in the next five years and also wants to see more mature students. Mansfield, Worcester, New, Harris Manchester, Hertford, Keble and St Hugh's will target students from further education colleges who constitute the smallest number of entrants in Oxford.
Although applications from the state sector rose to 47 per cent last year, relatively few came from further education colleges.
The initiative was backed by Education Secretary David Blunkett, who said: "It is vital we widen access to higher education.
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