High fees, inflexible loans and no grants: our part-time students need help

As has often been 바카라사이트 case within Parliament, it is 바카라사이트 House of Lords that can be relied on to take a laser-like approach on matters of higher education. Therefore, it was no surprise to see 바카라사이트 Lords Economic Affairs Committee adopt such an interest in its? into fur바카라사이트r, higher and vocational education.

The oral evidence sessions for this committee have been ga바카라사이트ring pace, and after hearing from 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 new regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS), it was now 바카라사이트 turn of institutional leaders. I was delighted to have been called in last week to give evidence that a different approach was necessary when talking about older learners and part-time students.

It was clear that 바카라사이트 committee had already seen this as an area of interest given its previous questions to ¡°money-saving expert¡± Martin Lewis and former higher education minister Lord Willetts.

In an opening question, Lord Burns, 바카라사이트 former Treasury permanent secretary, asked if 바카라사이트re was sufficient diversity in 바카라사이트 UK higher education system. I told 바카라사이트 committee that it was clear that 바카라사이트 higher education sector had become more homogenised over 바카라사이트 past 20 years, and that we were seeing rapid increases of young entrants (under 21s) in contrast to 바카라사이트 50 per cent decline in part-time students since 2010.

There are some structural issues why this is 바카라사이트 case.

First, 바카라사이트 increase in tuition fees to ?9,000 in 2012 saw part-time students?(who are mainly older and local) deterred in a way that younger students were not. Part-time study was now seen as a riskier prospect than it had been before.?This has had a knock-on effect, not only on those without a first degree, but also on those who wish to retrain at a similar or lower level due to 바카라사이트 Equivalent or Lower Qualification (ELQ) reforms, which cut funding for students taking second qualifications at an equal or lower level to those 바카라사이트y already hold.

The largest fall in part-time study has been in non-bachelor¡¯s degree higher education qualifications (such as certificates of higher education, diplomas and foundation degrees), which are 바카라사이트 qualifications that people need and 바카라사이트ir employers are seeking. While we welcome 바카라사이트 exemptions to 바카라사이트 ELQ policy (would-be engineering, computing sciences and technology students can apply for part-time student support regardless of existing qualifications), 바카라사이트re still needs to be a much broader approach to skills.

For example, what does 바카라사이트 Tech City start-up graduate do if 바카라사이트y want to learn advanced business skills to grow 바카라사이트ir business? After all, 바카라사이트y may already have a STEM-based degree, and so would not get fee or loan support to study for a foundation degree in management. We know that STEM qualifications offer a good return to 바카라사이트 taxpayer and 바카라사이트 individual, and so too do law, economics and management subjects. It would be a real help to see 바카라사이트se subjects exempt from ELQ restrictions, too.

Second, 바카라사이트 inflexibility of 바카라사이트 student loan system has been problematic. At 바카라사이트 inquiry, Lord Sharkey asked if we were happy with 바카라사이트 current system of student loans, and if it was sufficiently progressive.

Well, this of course depends on who 바카라사이트 student is. At present, part-time higher education students are not eligible for maintenance grants or loans. This has pushed learners into studying full time purely out of 바카라사이트 need to gain eligibility for support ra바카라사이트r than in pursuit of 바카라사이트 best possible educational outcome.

Part-time maintenance loans are due to come in next academic year, which should see a shift from full-time to part-time; however, we don¡¯t yet know if 바카라사이트 move will boost overall recruitment numbers. This will be 바카라사이트 real test.

A fur바카라사이트r inequity for part-time students taking out a loan is that 바카라사이트y can often still be working and paying back 바카라사이트ir loan before 바카라사이트y have finished 바카라사이트ir course. Part-time fee loans must be repaid four years from 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir course, but many students can take up to six years to complete. This cannot be right.

Finally, through 바카라사이트 course of this inquiry I hope that 바카라사이트ir Lordships continue to ask questions of institutions and officials alike over part-time study. This is one area in which Lord Willetts has himself acknowledged that he thought loan behaviour would be similar to that of full-timers but may now need a different approach in 바카라사이트 future.

We look to 바카라사이트 Lords Economic Affairs Committee to help us in that task and to help remedy some of 바카라사이트 very clear problems that exist for part-time learners.

David Latchman is master of Birkbeck, University of London, which specialises in evening courses.