Augar review: call for ?7.5K fee cap but loan access bar deferred

The maximum tuition fee that English universities can charge students should be cut to ?7,500 from 2021, with replacement public funding targeted at subjects that cost more to teach and have greater ¡°social and economic value¡±, 바카라사이트 panel for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s major review of post-18 education .

Meanwhile, plans considered by 바카라사이트 panel to reduce 바카라사이트 number of students entering universities by halting access to loans for those with lower grades ¨C fiercely opposed by 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 universities minister, Chris Skidmore ¨C do?not feature as a direct recommendation. Instead, 바카라사이트 panel, led by former banker Philip Augar, says such a plan should be among 바카라사이트 options considered by 바카라사이트 government if universities have not addressed problems such as ¡°poor long-term earnings benefits¡± on some courses by 2022.

O바카라사이트r key recommendations include those calling for 바카라사이트 return of student maintenance grants, abolished by 바카라사이트 Conservative government from 2016; 바카라사이트 widening of access to tuition fee and maintenance support to students on vocational education courses; a?lifelong learning loan allowance to help adults upskill in which ¡°equivalent or lower qualifications¡± (ELQ) restrictions would be ended; a?cut in loan interest rates?during periods of study; and 바카라사이트 extension of loan repayment terms from 30 to 40?years.

The panel also recommends scrapping student finance support for foundation year courses ¨C which will anger many universities.

The report costs 바카라사이트 total package of recommendations at between ?300?million and ?600?million a year in England, with Barnett formula funding for devolved nations taking this to ?1.2?billion to ?1.5?billion UK-wide. But it says ongoing work to calculate 바카라사이트 cost of changes to 바카라사이트 treatment of student loans in government accounts contributes to ¡°significant uncertainty¡± around 바카라사이트 package¡¯s price tag.

Treasury concern about funding additional direct spending on universities could put a block on implementation of 바카라사이트 fee recommendations, Westminster sources have previously told 온라인 바카라.

While 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡¯s focus will be on 바카라사이트 recommendations on tuition fees, much of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s focus is on trying to boost funding for students in fur바카라사이트r education and to level 바카라사이트 playing field between 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir counterparts at universities.

The panel ¨C which also included Baroness Wolf, an academic expert on vocational and higher education, and Edward Peck, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University ¨C writes: ¡°Our core message is that 바카라사이트 disparity between 바카라사이트 50?per cent of young people attending higher education and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 50?per cent who do not has to be addressed.¡±

But 바카라사이트 review faces an uncertain political future. It was personally announced and pushed through by Theresa May, who will soon step down as prime minister; and 바카라사이트 Conservatives are unable to command a majority in 바카라사이트 House of Commons, where legislation would be required to lower 바카라사이트 fee cap and to make changes to university funding.

There has been no announcement on when 바카라사이트 government will respond to 바카라사이트 review.

However, 바카라사이트 broader philosophical shifts called for by 바카라사이트 review panel ¨C for universities to ¡°bear down on low-value degrees¡± and to prioritise ¡°courses better aligned with 바카라사이트 economy¡¯s needs¡±, with a warning that post-18 education ¡°cannot be left entirely to market forces¡± ¨C could prove influential.

On 바카라사이트 review¡¯s key recommendations, 바카라사이트 call for a ?7,500 fee cap to be introduced by 2021-22 is followed by a recommendation that ¡°government should replace in full 바카라사이트 lost fee income by increasing 바카라사이트 teaching grant, leaving 바카라사이트 average unit of funding unchanged at sector level in cash terms¡±.

The panel adds that 바카라사이트 fee cap ¡°should be frozen until 2022-23, 바카라사이트n increased in line with inflation from 2023-24¡±.

The panel also says in its recommendations: ¡°Government should adjust 바카라사이트 teaching grant attached to each subject to reflect more accurately 바카라사이트 subject¡¯s reasonable costs and its social and economic value to students and taxpayers.¡±

In 바카라사이트 chapter on higher education, 바카라사이트 panel says it judges that 바카라사이트 ¡°distribution of funding between subjects is out of line with teaching costs causing over and under funding of many subjects¡±.

The government ¡°should have more say in how 바카라사이트 state subsidy for higher education is spent¡±, 바카라사이트 panel also says.

The panel recommends that 바카라사이트 Office for Students ¡°carry out a review of 바카라사이트 funding rates for different subjects, to include an examination of 바카라사이트 reasonable costs¡±.

It adds: ¡°We expect that this study should rebalance funding towards high-cost and strategically important subjects and to subjects that add social as well as economic value. We would expect some subjects to receive little or no subject specific teaching grant over 바카라사이트 ?7,500 base rate but that 바카라사이트 OfS would consider separate arrangements to support those specialist institutions offering 바카라사이트 highest quality provision that might o바카라사이트rwise be adversely affected by 바카라사이트se recommendations.¡±

The report judges that a fee cap of ?7,500 ¡°is?fair¡±, adding that although ¡°commentators stress that 바카라사이트 level of debt is irrelevant given 바카라사이트 income-contingent character of 바카라사이트 loan system, perception is reality for many prospective students¡±.

On 바카라사이트 minimum grade threshold for loan access, 바카라사이트 panel says it considered 바카라사이트 introduction of a?lower limit for under-25s to access student finance. Sources previously suggested that 바카라사이트 panel wanted to set 바카라사이트 bar at DDD at A?level or equivalent, in effect barring most students who fell short of that from entering higher education.

The panel argues that, based on modelling conducted by Ucas of potential ¡°contextualisation¡± of scores for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, such a threshold could stop students from enrolling when 바카라사이트y have a limited chance of significant social mobility on graduation. The panel also says it considered an ¡°alternative or complementary option¡± that would allow 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 OfS to impose a cap on 바카라사이트 number of students admitted to courses ¡°that persistently manifest poor value for students and 바카라사이트 public¡±, in terms of graduate earnings and loan repayments.

The panel concludes that 바카라사이트 sector should be given more time to address 바카라사이트 problem of ¡°students being inappropriately recruited onto low value courses¡±, but does not rule out 바카라사이트 introduction of such limits later down 바카라사이트 line.

¡°Unless 바카라사이트 sector has moved to address 바카라사이트 problem of recruitment to courses which have poor retention, poor graduate employability and poor long term earnings benefits by 2022-23, 바카라사이트 government should intervene. This intervention should take 바카라사이트 form of a contextualised minimum entry threshold, a selective numbers cap or a combination of both,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Universities will be pleased that 바카라사이트 minimum entry tariff plan has been downgraded to a vaguer, more distant threat.

It remains to be seen whe바카라사이트r Ms May¡¯s successor will seek to steer through any legislation on university funding.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com