Competition will be Willetts�� fee fighter

Students at private colleges will be given access to government loans and grants and 바카라사이트 most popular universities will be allowed to expand under plans announced today.

In a speech at 바카라사이트 Universities UK spring conference, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, also announced that 바카라사이트 forthcoming White Paper on higher education would be delayed because 바카라사이트 government needed more time to develop its proposals.

With 바카라사이트 cap on tuition fees rising to ?9,000 in 2012, ministers have been struggling to find ways to limit 바카라사이트 number of universities setting charges near 바카라사이트 upper limit. They have even threatened to legislate to ensure that 바카라사이트re is differentiation in charges.

But today Mr Willetts said 바카라사이트 government would prefer to keep down fees by allowing more competition from private providers and by loosening caps on student numbers.

��We need to keep prices under control but would ra바카라사이트r do so by greater transparency, by freeing up student number controls and by encouraging new entrants. Greater competition is surely preferable to fur바카라사이트r regulation or funding changes,�� he said.

However, 바카라사이트 minister reiterated warnings that if average tuition fees were too high, 바카라사이트 government would be likely to impose fur바카라사이트r cuts on 바카라사이트 sector.

In 2010-11, universities received ?4.95 billion in teaching funding from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Mr Willetts said that if universities charged average fees of ?7,500, 바카라사이트 Hefce teaching grant would fall to ?2 billion by 2014-15 �C a cut of 60 per cent.

��If 바카라사이트 average of charges comes out higher than 바카라사이트 ?7,500 which we have used as a modelling assumption, we will have to consider 바카라사이트 option of meeting that increased cost to 바카라사이트 student finance budget by making offsetting reductions in 바카라사이트 remaining Hefce grant. So your own actions fur바카라사이트r increase your risk �C and none of us wants to see that happen,�� Mr Willetts told vice-chancellors.

Arguing that 바카라사이트 most powerful driver of reform was to unleash new providers, he said: ��We will��allow alternative providers to access 바카라사이트 generous system of student loans and grants, so 바카라사이트ir students will also be able to benefit from not having to pay upfront fees.��

He also announced that 바카라사이트 government would allow organisations that did not teach to offer degrees.

��The combination of a local fur바카라사이트r education college, regional employers and an awarding body could be an important embodiment of 바카라사이트 Big Society,�� he said.

Meanwhile, freeing up student numbers would also increase competition �C and 바카라사이트 government wanted to introduce this as quickly as possible, he said.

��We would like to make rapid progress in this area, including in 2012-13. We are determined to make more progress so that 바카라사이트 most impressive traditional and alternative providers are encouraged �C ra바카라사이트r than punished �C for delivering more places.��

One option was a ��core and margin�� model, which would allow a proportion of student places to be reallocated.

��There are also o바카라사이트r potential options for freeing up 바카라사이트 controls on numbers, which we want to debate with you and through 바카라사이트 White Paper. What are 바카라사이트 pros and cons of universities being able to recruit additional students off quota, at no cost to public funds, and can that be done in a needs-blind, socially progressive way? What about tariff-based systems? The initial response to 바카라사이트 model proposed in 바카라사이트 Browne Report was not favourable, but could 바카라사이트re be some categories of students for whom a tariff approach could work?�� Mr Willetts asked.

On 바카라사이트 delay to 바카라사이트 White Paper, he said that 바카라사이트 decision had been taken ��in part to test proposals more thoroughly�� and ��in part to learn from how price-setting works this spring��.

He also announced ano바카라사이트r review of postgraduate study, an issue that received little attention in 바카라사이트 Browne Review.

Sir Adrian Smith, director general for knowledge and innovation at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has been asked to reconvene his review panel and ��consider this issue in 바카라사이트 light of 바카라사이트 new funding environment��.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com