Potential student numbers cap for universities amid Covid-19 pandemic

I'm really confused. I thought once someone accepted a firm offer it cannot under any circumstance be withdrawn by the university?

It can be withdrawn under normal rules if you change things on your end e.g. not taking all the qualifications you said you would.

However the articles on this do imply that unis could be forced to withdraw offers this summer- this would be pretty unprecedented, and unfair on students, in my opinion, but obviously we are living in very unusual times.

Whilst it states there might be a cap most universities other than the top few dont reach their numbers and that is after including insurance choices and foreign applicants. I dont see it being a problem for most students but possibly could reduce the numbers available in clearing and adjustment. It might be a problem for a few high end universities and subjects like Medicine. There always used to be a cap until Gove removed it and since then some universities increased their numbers. I suspect if there is a cap it would have to be the figures for last year. There always is a sort of cap as there is restricted housing and room in classes anyway.

Maybe this will encourage people to stop and think whether they need to go to university right now, instead of just going because it has become the thing to do these days when you finish school.

There's another guardian update here: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/mar/30/cconcern-a-level-students-over-cap-university-admissions

This is talking about a government imposed cap- these were in place before 2015. It does sound like some unis could do with an externally imposed cap. It is known that some unis try to subsidise their more expensive (often STEM) courses by taking on more students for cheaper to run humanities/arts courses.

I think, if unis are still doing online learning in September, and missing out on international fees, then an externally imposed cap could be no bad thing. However, it wouldn't feel like that to students who miss out on their place.

Although the original article seems to talk about offers being withdrawn, it's worth bearing in mind that most unis have let in a LOT of "near miss" students over the past couple of years- and sometimes even people who aren't really near misses at all. These will be the students who miss out first, before those who've achieved their firm offers.

Reading that article it doesnt sound like they are looking at withdrawing offers. It is more the effect of reducing overseas students and institutions trying to increase their numbers to compensate. For example where would the 8000 foreign students from LSE be replaced. Other universities just below like say Manchester and Exeter who in turn would need to replace the lost students plus the overseas students they will have lost. They maybe trying to restrict the numbers to protect universities lower down the chain rather than trying to prevent people with offers going to universities. They might restrict adjustment and possibly clearing but there is nothing to suggest they wont accept offers made.