Poorer pupils will get into university with lower grades

Universities are to be given permission to admit poorer pupils whose A-level grades are lower than the usual required standard.

Vice-chancellors will be told for the first time to give places to those who show academic potential but do not meet the offer based on their grades.

This week, ministers will write to the Office for Fair Access, the admissions watchdog, setting out the system.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is also expected to tell universities they must admit more students from disadvantaged backgrounds if they want to raise tuition fees above £6,000 a year.

It means universities could use "contextual data", which gives greater recognition to the problems overcome by disadvantaged students, when making offers. The letter, from Business Secretary Vince Cable and Universities Minister David Willetts, is expected to say: "Universities... may want to admit some students on the basis of lower qualifications than they would normally."

It also emerged that in future, A-level students could be limited to two choices of university, instead of five, when they apply. Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of admissions service Ucas, told The Times a review was needed.

In 1961, 50,000 students applied to university. Now 700,000 people do so, and one in three miss out on a place.