Brokerage Scheme: Dental Students In England Offered £10,000 To Switch University

Students who have won a place on an oversubscribed dentistry degree in England are being offered £10,000 to transfer to a different university with places available.

But universities warn cash incentives will not relieve the pressure on many dental courses.

Like medicine, dental schools have been hit by the double challenge of a huge increase in demand for places, and far more students than expected achieving the high A-level grades needed to secure their offer.

According to figures from university admissions service, Ucas, this year 28,690 students applied to study medicine and dentistry, a rise of 21% on last year.

Dentistry students have been invited to join the Department for Education’s new “brokerage” scheme, under which medicine and dentistry students can claim £10,000 compensation if they move from an oversubscribed institution to one with space.

The Dental Schools Council said the scheme was working well, but dental academics say they expect a very limited supply of spare places.

Last week education secretary Gavin Williamson was forced to announce last-minute funding for hundreds of extra places in medicine and dentistry, which both have their numbers capped by the government, in an attempt to resolve the recruitment crisis.