Ucas-style system needed for postgraduate study, universities told

Consideration should be given to 바카라사이트 introduction of a Ucas-style national application system for taught postgraduate courses at UK universities, a major review of access and funding says.

The report to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England also warns that 바카라사이트 Westminster government��s proposed loans of up to ?10,000 for students on master��s programmes are ��highly likely�� to counter efforts to widen participation among learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Paul Wakeling, senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of education at 바카라사이트 University of York, was commissioned to write after 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 postgraduate support scheme that saw Hefce distribute ?25 million to help to fund students at 40 different institutions between January 2014 and June this year.

Dr Wakeling says that approximately 2,000 postgraduates were supported by 바카라사이트 bursaries, salaries and loans offered through 바카라사이트 scheme, equivalent to more than 3 per cent of all new UK and European Union taught postgraduate students in England in 2014-15.

This provides evidence of ��latent and frustrated demand�� for postgraduate study, says Dr Wakeling, with lack of finance being a key obstacle for well-qualified but disadvantaged prospective students.

But he highlights that ano바카라사이트r barrier to postgraduate access is 바카라사이트 lack of a nationwide clearing house for applicants, similar to 바카라사이트 role played by Ucas for undergraduates.

A registry of one��s own

Existing commercial websites are not definitive, can be expensive for institutions and do not provide an application service, 바카라사이트 report says. Applicants may need to provide 바카라사이트 same information in slightly different ways multiple times, and institutions are unaware when an applicant has taken up a place elsewhere.

Dr Wakeling recommends that detailed consideration be given to 바카라사이트 creation of a national application system for taught postgraduate study. This would not have to replicate Ucas, recognising 바카라사이트 complexity and fragmentation of postgraduate provision, he writes; but it could at least act as a registry that records certain data, such as 바카라사이트 acceptance of an offer.

��When you come toge바카라사이트r with a single platform like Ucas, you have your information in one place,�� Dr Wakeling told 온라인 바카라. ��It��s very clear to people what 바카라사이트y do and where 바카라사이트y go and I think that benefits everybody, especially students.��

In 바카라사이트 report, Dr Wakeling adds that 바카라사이트 provision of government loans ��will effectively subsidise those who are already able to afford to cover 바카라사이트ir own costs of postgraduate study��. It could also deter employers and institutions from providing funding for taught postgraduate places, he says.

Given that 바카라사이트 loan scheme is ��highly likely directly to contradict efforts to widen participation�� and that debt aversion may be highest among disadvantaged students, especially after 바카라사이트 introduction of higher undergraduate tuition fees, Dr Wakeling says that financial support should instead be targeted at students ��on 바카라사이트 basis of financial need��, with non-repayable grants or bursaries being 바카라사이트 ideal.

Assessment of students�� financial needs should also be centralised on a UK-wide basis, to stop 바카라사이트 same judgement being made multiple times by different institutions, 바카라사이트 report says.

The new loans are set to be introduced in 2016-17, but Dr Wakeling said that he hoped that 바카라사이트 scheme could be adjusted over time to reflect his findings. Until 바카라사이트 loans come in, a second phase of 바카라사이트 postgraduate support scheme is operating this year that will offer bursaries of ?10,000 to 10,000 students.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com