Essay mills offering incentives to cheating students, experts warn

Conference told of normalisation' of buying essays, aided by universities shifting to online assessment

Students are being incentivised to cheat at university by commercial essay mills offering buy-one-get-one-free deals, loyalty schemes and high street-style cashback offers, a conference has been told.

Experts warned of a growing normalisation" of cheating in higher education, with the shift to online assessment that began during the pandemic making it easier and more common for students to seek outside help.