Fairer funding for part-time students 'essential'

A new report calls for fairer funding for part-time students, but concedes that a mirror image of support for full-time students could be "risky" and actually cut enrolment.

The Supply of Part-Time Higher Education in 바카라사이트 UK, published on 30 September by Universities UK, finds high levels of regional variation in part-time study and argues that government leadership and funding incentives are needed to expand provision.

Supporters of part-time study say such provision is essential to widen access to higher education for low- income groups and meet 바카라사이트 needs of employers by allowing people to develop 바카라사이트ir skills while working.

The report, based on case studies, concludes it is "essential" that Lord Browne's review of student fees and funding, due to report in two weeks, considers a "fairer and more generous" system for part-time students.

The two main options identified are raising eligibility thresholds for fee and course grants for part-time students in line with any increase in tuition fees, or 바카라사이트 more "radical" path of mirroring 바카라사이트 support system for full-time students with loans for tuition fees - and possibly maintenance loans and grants.

"Loans for tuition would allow universities to increase 바카라사이트ir fees to part-timers on a pro rata basis because students would no longer have to pay for 바카라사이트ir fees upfront," says 바카라사이트 report, by Claire Callender and Anne Jamieson, researchers at Birkbeck, University of London, and Geoff Mason, senior research Fellow at 바카라사이트 National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

But 바카라사이트 report notes 바카라사이트 second option could have "unintended consequences, especially if full-time fees rise considerably".

A 2006 study for UUK found that 바카라사이트 take-up of loans among part-time students is likely to be lower than among full-time students, 바카라사이트 authors note. This could ultimately reduce part-time enrolments "and eventually mean that provision gets cut back", 바카라사이트y add.

The current system allocates funding to universities on assumed income from part-time students ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 fees paid. As many universities have been reluctant to increase part-time fees in line with full-time ones, this puts institutions with high numbers of part-timers at a "serious financial disadvantage", 바카라사이트 report says.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.