Footballers’ ‘university’ eyes growth as first students graduate

A higher education institution set up by ex-Manchester United footballers is hoping to expand to new sites in the UK and potentially internationally despite being yet to break even in its first three years of operation.

The first cohort of 70 students have finished their studies at University Academy 92 (UA92) and will graduate this July after taking part in what was billed as a new way of doing higher education.

Set up by footballer-turned-Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville, and other members of the famed “Class of 1992” Manchester United team, the institution has championed its close links with industry and the teaching of character development as part of its degrees in sports, business and media, in partnership with Lancaster University.

It has aimed to offer a pathway into higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and says that 37 per cent of those starting next year come from the lowest participation neighbourhoods, compared with the sector average of 12 per cent.

Sara Prowse, who took over as chief executive in May 2021 after a 30-year career in consumer retail, said although the pandemic knocked back UA92’s business plan and it is still loss-making, she hoped to break even next year before eyeing expansion.

She said the plan for the site near the Old Trafford football stadium is that it will be kept small, eventually catering for around 1,000 students in total.

“Future growth after that would come through new sites; that could be national roll-out or it could even be international roll-out, those are thoughts for the future,” she said. “If it is a new site, it would retain everything that is true for UA92. It would have the same vision of making higher education accessible to all and attracting more disadvantaged students. And have the same ethos around the sporting and academic excellence combined. It would be almost a replica but in a different city or town.”

Ms Prowse said she saw the celebrity links as a big help in convincing students to sign up – Mr Neville is known to show up at open days – but was keen to downplay being seen as purely a “football university” and pointed to the fact that, although 45 per cent of students are studying sports in some guise, the biggest subject growth area is in computer science.

She credited the institution’s starter package – which includes a free laptop, data and lunch and travel vouchers worth £5,000 – as a major reason why it has successfully attracted harder-to-reach students.

As of the middle of April, 20 of the 70 students had secured employment for after their studies, some of them in industries where they completed placements.

Early controversies focused on the outfit being allowed to use the term “university” in its title, despite not having degree-awarding powers, and receiving nearly £3 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, despite being a for-profit venture.

Ms Prowse said the institution has now come of age and others in the sector are beginning to take notice.  

UA92 has continued to receive public money and plans to open a new digital academy in September, funded with the help of £2 million from the Office for Students. This will allow it to offer short courses in digital skills to people in the local community, as well as bootcamps and apprenticeships.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com