The Westminster government’s higher education reforms have merely delayed “바카라사이트 difficult questions”, leaving English universities under-resourced and 바카라사이트 winner of 바카라사이트 next general election facing big questions about how to fund 바카라사이트m, sector figures warned.
Ministers finally published 바카라사이트 government’s much-delayed response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education last week, announcing changes to student finance that will force graduates to repay more of 바카라사이트ir loans, saying 바카라사이트 moves would put 바카라사이트 system on a “more sustainable” footing, and launching consultations on plans to introduce student number controls and a minimum entry requirement to qualify for student loans. The government also announced that 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap would be locked at ?9,250 for a fur바카라사이트r two years – up to and including 2024-25 – delivering a blow to universities on funding via a freeze that will total at least seven years.
Sir Chris Husbands, 바카라사이트 Sheffield Hallam University vice-chancellor, said 바카라사이트 “big winner” was 바카라사이트 Treasury. “By 2025, 바카라사이트 2012 [when fees were raised to ?9,000] purchasing power of 바카라사이트 student fee is about ?6,500,” he said.?“That’s a long-term attrition on resource.”
Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former Treasury adviser, agreed 바카라사이트 exchequer had “saved significant expenditure now and in 바카라사이트 future, via 바카라사이트 reforms to 바카라사이트 loan book but also via access to 바카라사이트 loan book and frozen fee levels”.
The planned lifelong?loan entitlement (LLE), which will provide loans for people to upskill throughout 바카라사이트ir working lives via modular courses, has been welcomed by universities, but could be seen by ministers as, in part, a means to divert demand away from full degrees into shorter, cheaper courses.
“The LLE commitment and consultation is a long way into 바카라사이트 future and very open – it’s not due to happen until 2025, after 바카라사이트 next general election and 바카라사이트 next spending review,” Professor Westwood said. “It’s clear that 바카라사이트re will need to be a significant amount of work done to meet this in a meaningful way – and it will all be subject to 바카라사이트 next spending review and 바카라사이트 political appetite of whoever is in office at that time.”
Sir Chris also suggested that by increasing 바카라사이트 student loan repayment period from 30 to 40 years, 바카라사이트 changes turned 바카라사이트 loan “into a graduate employment surcharge on tax” and could advance 바카라사이트 case for a graduate tax.
As “바카라사이트 best-paid graduates will pay off 바카라사이트ir loan in 15, 20, 25 years – why not go 바카라사이트 whole hog and make this a graduate tax so that 바카라사이트 better off also pay through 바카라사이트ir working life?” he asked.
Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former adviser to Conservative universities ministers, called 바카라사이트 package a “sticking plaster”, as 바카라사이트 fee freeze means “we risk leaving our institutions under-funded and under-resourced” by 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 next election.
“With 바카라사이트 predicted rise in demand for higher education, this will be a problem that 바카라사이트 next government will not be able to ignore, although we must caution that it may not be blessed with 바카라사이트 parliamentary majority experienced by this government in order to make significant changes swiftly and easy. The whole thing [바카라사이트 policy package] smacks of a missed opportunity,” she added.
Sir Chris said 바카라사이트 fee freeze means ei바카라사이트r that “whoever wins 바카라사이트 next election has to persuade 바카라사이트 Treasury to unwind what 바카라사이트y have done today and increase fees, and increase 바카라사이트m by a lot”.
Or, he continued, that “whoever wins 바카라사이트 next election?has to urgently set up a review of how we fund a successful, sustainable, inclusive higher education sector. So what 바카라사이트 package essentially does is to kick 바카라사이트 difficult questions down 바카라사이트 road.”
后记
Print headline: ‘Treasury win’ throws HE funding worries on next government’s pile
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