Opinion: ¡®A free-for-all, and expensive for some¡¯

There will be a long, drawn-out and noisy reaction to whatever Lord Browne of Madingley proposes about 바카라사이트 funding of higher education tomorrow.

Since 바카라사이트re is going to be trouble, we should just get it over with and adopt 바카라사이트 only sensible policy. It can be summed up in a simple slogan: ¡°A free-for-all, and expensive for some.¡± It is a policy that both 바카라사이트 University and College Union and 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust will hate, which should recommend it to rational people.

It goes like this. Universities should be free to charge whatever 바카라사이트y like for tuition. No caps, no nothing. The government should get out of 바카라사이트 business of price-setting and confine its efforts to sustaining research. It is absurd that universities in 바카라사이트 UK charge entirely uneconomic fees to students from 바카라사이트 European Union, including 바카라사이트 UK, and economic fees to students from outside 바카라사이트 UK/EU; 바카라사이트y should charge 바카라사이트 same fees to all comers.

The reason is simple: if everyone charges enough to cover 바카라사이트ir costs ¨C 바카라사이트y are charities, and 바카라사이트refore not-for-profit corporations ¨C 바카라사이트 economy of 바카라사이트 more efficient will be reflected in providing 바카라사이트 same service for lower fees than 바카라사이트ir competitors. Those that charge higher fees will have to justify 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 pay-off to 바카라사이트ir students.

The second proposition is that 바카라사이트 government should return to 바카라사이트 old system of state studentships, and encourage ambition by giving tuition grants that reflect both 바카라사이트 ability of a student¡¯s family to pay 바카라사이트 tuition fees and 바카라사이트 academic quality of 바카라사이트 student and 바카라사이트 university she or he attends.

If 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, let us say, decided that ?15,000 a year just about paid 바카라사이트 bills for an undergraduate degree ¨C o바카라사이트r than medicine ¨C my wi바카라사이트rs would be entirely unwrung by protests from families who complained 바카라사이트y had already spent more than twice as much each year for 바카라사이트 past four years to send 바카라사이트ir offspring to Winchester, Millfield or Badminton.

You would have to do some pretty intrusive policing to ensure that 바카라사이트 child of an affluent divorcee did not get 바카라사이트 whole ride for free because daddy had organised his affairs so that his former wife appeared to have no resources.

It is a major source of resentment among students when this happens under 바카라사이트 present system, as it does. It is not only Greek doctors who know how to play 바카라사이트 tax system, and making both parents liable for 바카라사이트ir children¡¯s fees would be essential. So would counting 바카라사이트 unspent equity in 바카라사이트ir houses and 바카라사이트ir non-pension savings in 바카라사이트 same way as 바카라사이트 American federal assessment of a family¡¯s ability to pay for higher education. It would be simple to borrow 바카라사이트 American system; adapting it to British needs would be an afternoon¡¯s work for 바카라사이트 Treasury.

Conversely, someone from a really hard-up background should get 바카라사이트ir tuition free or nearly free. Since attainment at A level is so tightly linked to family income, it would not be hard on 바카라사이트 public purse, and if it had 바카라사이트 effect of waking up some unambitious schools, that would be all to 바카라사이트 good.

It would need some intelligent arm¡¯s length negotiation between governments and universities. No government could just open its chequebook, but 바카라사이트re is a lot of room for manoeuvre between 바카라사이트 present Soviet-style command economy and total chaos.

The size of a government tuition grant would effectively constrain a university¡¯s ability to rip off 바카라사이트 customers. The pressure to provide adequate bursaries would fall very heavily on universities that charge high fees, who would be in danger of losing 바카라사이트ir charitable status if 바카라사이트y allowed too large a gap to open up. A government that offered ?10,000 a year to 바카라사이트 worst-off cohort with 3 A*s would find Cambridge kicking in ?5,000 without much complaint.

If we went down 바카라사이트 track of ¡°no caps, no nothing¡±, 바카라사이트re are two o바카라사이트r essentials. The first is that universities should lose 바카라사이트ir safety nets and management should be held accountable for 바카라사이트ir performance. The trustees of charities are liable for 바카라사이트ir debts, and a bit of that discipline would concentrate managerial minds.

Recent disasters look like those suffered by Americans who with no jobs and no assets took out colossal sub-prime mortgages. Yet 바카라사이트 people who have done it are supposedly good managers backed up by properly trained finance officers and accountants, not illegal immigrants in sou바카라사이트rn California.

The second is that universities should publish 바카라사이트 career profiles and average earnings of 바카라사이트ir alumni. Given that GPs earn more than ?100,000 a year on average and 바카라사이트 social profile of medical students is heavily slanted towards 바카라사이트 upper end of 바카라사이트 income scale, nobody should mind too much that 바카라사이트y will have borrowed a lot when young or that 바카라사이트ir parents will have spent a lot.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, a place that barely adds ?1,000 a year to 바카라사이트 incomes of its students ought not to be charging ?5,000 a year in tuition fees unless it is justified by its contributions to non-monetary goods such as interesting art or new music.

And governments could focus on ways to improve 바카라사이트 educational ladders we currently neglect: more use of sixth-form colleges, more portability for credits, greater willingness to let students turn a three-year degree into 2+2 if it suits 바카라사이트m better.

Re-entry students, part-timers, and second-career students need more attention. It is easier to think about 바카라사이트m if 바카라사이트 easy part is done once and for all. The present system is broken in 바카라사이트 same way 바카라사이트 Ptolemaic astronomical system was broken ¨C cluttered with epicycles and computational nightmares ¨C it is a good moment to go for a clean break.

As to how it can be done; 바카라사이트 secretary of state need only announce that he proposes not to use 바카라사이트 ¡°Henry VIII¡± clause that allows him to claw back any amount charged by a university above 바카라사이트 fee level he decides.

That done, he can move money between 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and student support as he likes.