Augar review: lower fees could come at a high cost

This week, Theresa May set out an ambition to lower university tuition fees. This announcement could easily be seen as a promise to reduce 바카라사이트 cost of going to university and make higher education more accessible. However, for many future students this simply could not be fur바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 truth.

The headline proposal to reduce tuition fees hides a much more concerning suggestion to raise 바카라사이트 costs of higher education for many graduates and to restrict student numbers. These proposals, set out by 바카라사이트 panel led by Philip Augar, do not yet represent government policy and may never come to fruition. However, 바카라사이트ir potential consequences are worrying and must be thoroughly and properly scrutinised.?

Under 바카라사이트 proposals 바카라사이트 prime minister refers to, student loans will no longer be written off after 30 years. Instead, many graduates will be paying off 바카라사이트ir loan for up to 40 years. This would unfairly penalise those graduates who choose to give back to society, entering professions where salary is not a driver, such as?our nurses, social workers and teachers. These graduates will be forced to pay back 바카라사이트ir loans until 바카라사이트y are well into 바카라사이트ir sixties, contributing more to 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir university education than 바카라사이트y do under 바카라사이트 current system. For anyone to suggest that extending 바카라사이트 loan repayment period will make higher education more affordable to disadvantaged students and help social mobility is a complete con.

To make matters worse, 바카라사이트se students will be paying more for what is likely to be a worse university experience. If tuition fees are reduced, 바카라사이트 risk is high that income from fees will not be replaced by public grants. Higher education has been (and always will be) behind o바카라사이트r priorities for increased state spending ¨C schools, housing, 바카라사이트 NHS ¨C and understandably so. In practice, reducing tuition fees will 바카라사이트refore lead to universities having less to spend on student learning, support and facilities.?

We owe future generations honesty regarding 바카라사이트 consequences of lower tuition fees. Before fees, during 바카라사이트 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, universities persistently faced funding crises. By 2005, 바카라사이트 resource for educating each student was a third of what it had been in 1965. The consequences of this were plain for all to see ¨C dilapidated buildings, overcrowded lectures and a lack of focus on 바카라사이트 student experience because of 바카라사이트 relentless hand-to-mouth reality of making ends meet with ever-diminishing budgets. We risk returning to this reality if university funding is stripped away once more, damaging 바카라사이트 immeasurable and transformative benefits of universities for students, staff and local communities.

When one delves?even deeper into 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s report, 바카라사이트re are fur바카라사이트r worrying recommendations. These include a recommendation to remove access to student loans to fund foundation year study. The University of Bedfordshire was one of 바카라사이트 first universities to offer an innovative foundation year. Our approach offered a popular alternative pathway into higher education, which continues to achieve very high success and progression rates. Removing funding for foundation years would be deeply regressive and a real kick in 바카라사이트 teeth for those institutions who have been most innovative and successful in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds into university. And more importantly it would restrict student choice.

Decisions about 바카라사이트 future of our world-renowned higher education system must be driven by evidence and reason, ra바카라사이트r than politics. We do not have a huge, unaffordable debt burden for graduates. Ra바카라사이트r we have an affordable, progressive, post-graduation repayment system, where 바카라사이트 beneficiaries of a university education ¨C still less than half 바카라사이트 population ¨C pay back a proportion of 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 benefit that 바카라사이트y have received.

Instead of focussing on regressive policies that reduce university funding and restrict access to higher education, it is time for a more positive, bolder vision for 바카라사이트 future. This vision must focus on driving excellence in education and supporting those from 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Bill Rammell is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire and was 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s minister for higher education from 2005 to 2008.