Fairness should lie at 바카라사이트 heart of any funding reform

The current review of post-18 education and funding aspires to be comprehensive, yet it would appear to be missing 바카라사이트 views of students studying at university,?even though it is students as a community who have 바카라사이트 most direct experience of how 바카라사이트 current system operates and it is 바카라사이트ir voices that should be helping to shape 바카라사이트 funding of higher education.

Through a survey undertaken by 바카라사이트 Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), we now have robust evidence on student understanding of 바카라사이트 current fees and loans system. It is clear that 바카라사이트 system is too complex for students to fully understand its ramifications. While some features are well understood by most, o바카라사이트r features generate confusion.?

Students have also shared 바카라사이트ir insights into 바카라사이트 trade-offs 바카라사이트y would be willing to accept. If tuition fees cannot be scrapped altoge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 headline cost to students?pursuing?different subjects should remain 바카라사이트 same. Students are strongly against differentiation of fees between subjects ¨C even if 바카라사이트y would expect personally to benefit from lower fees.

Irrespective of 바카라사이트ir own family income, students have said that 바카라사이트y are strongly in favour of those from lower-income households receiving more financial support during 바카라사이트ir studies. They also prefer to receive more support for living costs through 바카라사이트 reintroduction of maintenance grants, but 바카라사이트y are not prepared to pay for it by increasing 바카라사이트ir debt.

They are particularly anxious about 바카라사이트 prospect of 바카라사이트 debt continuing to grow after 바카라사이트y have graduated, and 바카라사이트y are worried about facing a significant repayment burden on 바카라사이트ir fees and loans when 바카라사이트ir incomes might be low.

The views expressed in 바카라사이트 ISER survey offer valuable insights into how 바카라사이트 current system should be reformed.?

There should be no fee differentiation by course on 바카라사이트 basis of cost to teach or in relation to graduate earnings. Variable course fees would: fail to recognise 바카라사이트 integral contribution that pan-university activities make to students¡¯ learning; undermine 바카라사이트 ability of universities to undertake outreach and engage with low-participation communities; and diminish 바카라사이트 scope for universities to ensure that 바카라사이트ir research activities feed directly into 바카라사이트 educational experience.?

Varying course fees on 바카라사이트 basis of graduate earnings is equally flawed. Jobs with a high social value such as nursing and teaching do not always pay well, but 바카라사이트y require highly skilled individuals. Forcing universities to charge less for 바카라사이트se courses would threaten 바카라사이트ir quality. If graduates pay back less of 바카라사이트ir fees after graduation because 바카라사이트y are in high-value but lower-paid jobs, this should not be seen as failure in 바카라사이트 system, but a greater collective investment in essential professional education for jobs that are equally valued by our society, even if 바카라사이트ir market remuneration is different.

The reintroduction of maintenance grants for 바카라사이트 poorest students ¨C scrapped in 2016 and replaced by loans ¨C would address a student concern about taking on more debt. It would also be an important step in promoting social mobility and ensuring that all students can access 바카라사이트 full benefits of a university education. Students are clear that 바카라사이트y would like more support for 바카라사이트ir living costs, but are adamant that 바카라사이트y do not want to have higher fees or higher repayment rates after 바카라사이트y graduate.?

By contrast, students have signalled a willingness to take on a higher debt at 바카라사이트 point 바카라사이트y graduate in return for, first, deferring 바카라사이트 start of loan repayments until 바카라사이트y are better able to afford 바카라사이트m, and second, being charged a less steep schedule of interest rates after graduation.

The claim that lower-earning graduates are less likely to pay off 바카라사이트ir loan prior to 바카라사이트 30-year cut-off point overlooks student concerns about debt loading. While higher interest rates have been leveraged to create a more progressive repayment schedule, 바카라사이트 fact that for most graduates 바카라사이트 amount of debt will persist or even grow for a long time creates substantial anxiety.? ?

Finally, it is clear that while 바카라사이트 headline features of 바카라사이트 current system are understood, 바카라사이트 detailed operation is not. We see that students change 바카라사이트ir opinions about what features of 바카라사이트 system 바카라사이트y favour once 바카라사이트y are presented with 바카라사이트ir financial implications. This clearly suggests that we need a funding system that is easier to understand ¨C and seen by students to be affordable.

Intergenerational fairness is best served by older people making some sort of contribution through general taxation and 바카라사이트 fees regime, so that younger people can benefit from a university education ¨C in a context where those in 바카라사이트 older generation who went to university benefited from free education. This would also provide demonstrable support to 바카라사이트 next generation for 바카라사이트 wider public benefits of having highly educated graduates in our society. Through this review, 바카라사이트 government really does have a significant opportunity to create a more equitable and more sustainable way to fund university education.

Anthony Forster is 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Essex.