WORKING hard and performing well at school should offer the chance of being accepted into university, according to a higher education official.

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, made the statement after the country’s new widening access czar said middle-class pupils with good exam grades had no “entitlement” to study a degree.

Speaking last month, Professor Peter Scott, the new commissioner for fair access, said university should not be seen as a “reward” for doing well and urged institutions to look at applicants’ backgrounds, as well as academic achievements.

Mr Sim said: “We support the drive to raise attainment and aspiration and to make constructive changes at universities and to help address inequalities that people have faced.

“We would agree that no one group of students, or their parents, should feel a sense of entitlement to a university education over any other, but it is also important that working hard at school, doing well and being motivated should lead to the chance of a university place, whoever you are.”

The comments came as Universities Scotland announced plans to step up the drive to improve access to university to pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

The body is to take forward a number of initiatives, including a shake-up of the admissions process, led by Professor Sally Mapstone, the new principal of St Andrews University.

The admissions review is aimed at doing more to level the playing field for disadvantaged applicants, including lower offers based on the minimum academic requirements of a course.

Contextualised admissions – where institutions look at the wider circumstances of an applicant’s upbringing and school experiences – are also to be developed.

Professor Mapstone said: “University leaders have said they would review admission policies and procedures, to ensure that we provide more opportunities to recognise and reward the talent and potential of applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Across Scotland, contextual admissions are being used extensively.

“We will look to identify and share best practice in the use of contextual admissions and as well consider how to make the use of contextual admissions better understood by potential applicants, parents, guardians, teachers and others.”

Susan Stewart, director of the Open University in Scotland, is to take forward a project on articulation where a student can move from a college course into the second or third year of a university degree. She said: “Articulation from college is a fast-growing route into university that offers an alternative from the more conventional route from school.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are very pleased Universities Scotland has nominated three respected senior figures from the sector to lead on widening access. We expect their work to complement compliment that of the newly-appointed commissioner, providing the strategic leadership to drive change for disadvantaged learners across the education system.”