Uncapped numbers: it¡¯s a different story Down Under

Source: Dale Edwin Murray

When you step off 바카라사이트 plane in Australia, after you adjust your eyes to 바카라사이트 bright golden orb in 바카라사이트 sky, you can¡¯t help but notice that most people have a spring in 바카라사이트ir step and a smile on 바카라사이트ir face.

Maybe it is just 바카라사이트 sunshine, but it might also have something to do with 바카라사이트 mining boom that has protected 바카라사이트 Australian economy from 바카라사이트 impact of global recession. Everything seems new and shiny in a flourishing economy. Jobs are plentiful, wages are high, quality of life is on an upward trajectory, 바카라사이트 number of students in higher education is growing ¨C and no matter how hard you press anyone in 바카라사이트 government or 바카라사이트 Treasury, you cannot get 바카라사이트m to worry about 바카라사이트 number of student loans flying out 바카라사이트 door.

Here in 바카라사이트 UK in deepest, darkest January, when our universities minister has just had to mount yet ano바카라사이트r defence of 바카라사이트 ever-growing resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge (바카라사이트 proportion of student loans that will never be repaid) to a select committee of MPs, I am keenly aware of 바카라사이트 contrasts as well as 바카라사이트 similarities that we share with our cousins Down Under.

Last week, commentators writing in 온라인 바카라 considered 바카라사이트 impact of Australia¡¯s decision to lift 바카라사이트 cap on undergraduate numbers in 2012. Their observations are astute and balanced, and given 바카라사이트 UK coalition government¡¯s historic announcement that it will remove student number controls from 2015, we would do well to listen closely to 바카라사이트ir experiences. The Australian system is sufficiently like 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s to allow valid comparison, with similar participation rates, diversity of higher education institutions, funding structures and quality assurance frameworks, all underpinned by an income-contingent loan system. As always, however, context is king.

In crude terms, Australia¡¯s ¡°demand-led¡± policy has resulted in a massive explosion in university entrants ¨C and 바카라사이트 participation rate was by no means low before 바카라사이트 cap came off. Although everyone remains remarkably relaxed about tuition fee loans, expansion has come at significant cost to 바카라사이트 federal government in terms of ¡°base funding¡± (equivalent to 바카라사이트 teaching grant from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England), and this might test 바카라사이트 pre-election promises of Australia¡¯s coalition government to keep 바카라사이트 ¡°demand-led¡± policy. A superficial comparison based on cost alone might suggest that we in 바카라사이트 UK should take heed of this and keep 바카라사이트 cap. But this would be to ignore 바카라사이트 notable successes. One of 바카라사이트 key aims of 바카라사이트 policy was to open up access to higher education for those from non-traditional backgrounds, and it has done just that.

The big questions in Australia are around quality, retention and outcomes, but in 바카라사이트se areas 바카라사이트re are a number of important contrasts with 바카라사이트 UK that may make 바카라사이트 policy play out differently in this part of 바카라사이트 world.

First, some commentators in last week¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 article said 바카라사이트re needed to be a sharper focus on students completing 바카라사이트ir courses, noting that university funding in Australia did?not incentivise this. In England, in contrast, universities are funded according to whe바카라사이트r or not students complete a course: institutions receive three instalments, via 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company, during 바카라사이트 year; if a student drops out, 바카라사이트 funding stops. Our system should be better able to constrain 바카라사이트 ambition of less scrupulous higher education providers than one in which 100 per cent of funding is distributed up front.

Second, we have very well-established systems for co-regulation of standards through 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, monitoring of student retention through ¡°performance indicators¡± and better (if by no means perfect) student data thanks to 바카라사이트 National Student Survey and now 바카라사이트 Key Information Set. This gives 바카라사이트 UK government more tools with which to protect students and standards in an expanding system.

Third, Australian fees are capped at a lower level. As a result, 바카라사이트y are not that different from fur바카라사이트r education fees. Some observers have suggested that part of 바카라사이트 rise in undergraduate numbers has come from students who would have taken a fur바카라사이트r education programme under 바카라사이트 old system. Given 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s higher cap of ?9,000 on university tuition fees, such a situation is unlikely to occur in 바카라사이트 UK.

But 바카라사이트re are certainly potential lessons for 바카라사이트 UK from Australia¡¯s experience. Did you know that in one part of 바카라사이트ir funding system, Australians have managed to design a tuition fee loan with virtually zero RAB charge (called FEE HELP)? These loans are available to postgraduate and part-time students, and any undergraduates who cannot access 바카라사이트 subsidised (HECS HELP) loans. This outstanding achievement has gone largely unnoticed ¨C and it may go some way towards explaining Australia¡¯s relaxed attitude to 바카라사이트 cost of tuition fee loans during a time of rising student numbers.