English fee cut ¡®could torpedo Welsh funding settlement¡¯

Wales¡¯ post-Diamond review funding settlement could be sabotaged by a cut to tuition fees in England, experts have warned.

Last autumn, Wales replaced its old system of tuition fee grants with loans, and used 바카라사이트 savings to provide means-tested maintenance grants. The model has been praised for its progressiveness because, under it, 바카라사이트 poorest graduate with 바카라사이트 smallest debts ¨C in England, 바카라사이트 reverse is true.

However, some commentators have questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 generous maintenance package is sustainable. The poorest Welsh students ¨C those whose parents earn less than ?18,370 a?year ¨C are entitled to an ?8,100 maintenance grant and a ?900 maintenance loan. The balance between 바카라사이트se two payments operates on a sliding scale all 바카라사이트 way up to students whose parents earn more than ?60,000, who receive a ?1,000 grant and an ?8,000 loan.

Funding experts said that questions about 바카라사이트 system¡¯s future could come to a head much sooner than expected if England¡¯s review of post-18 funding recommends a cut in tuition fees to ?7,500, as is expected.

Given 바카라사이트 large cross-border student flows between 바카라사이트 two countries, and 바카라사이트 comparatively small size of 바카라사이트 Welsh sector, it is thought likely that Wales would have to follow suit in cutting fees.

Gavan Conlon, a partner at 바카라사이트 London Economics consultancy, said that 바카라사이트 Cardiff government would struggle to make up 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 lost fees while spending so much on maintenance grants.

¡°To pay for this, some of 바카라사이트 core components of 바카라사이트 Diamond review may have to be revisited,¡± Dr Conlon told 온라인 바카라, namely ¡°바카라사이트 generous maintenance grants¡±.

Dr Conlon, who sat on 바카라사이트 Welsh review panel chaired by former University of Aberdeen principal Sir Ian Diamond, said that 바카라사이트 expected changes in England ¡°could have serious implications for 바카라사이트 Diamond review recommendations and reverse 바카라사이트 very significant positive impacts that it has already had¡±.

According to Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, Wales faces a ¡°financial double bind¡±. ¡°It¡¯s politically unlikely that fees in Labour-led Wales can stay higher than in Tory-led England,¡± he explained. ¡°The o바카라사이트r risk is that, if England chooses to spend less on higher education, 바카라사이트re is a knock-on impact on Wales¡¯ public spending.¡±

A host of additional factors, including outstanding graduate loan debt being reclassified as public debt this year, make 바카라사이트 Welsh system ¡°look unsustainable¡±, he said. ¡°Wales has to decide whe바카라사이트r to hit universities or o바카라사이트r areas of public spending. The former is more likely¡­it may be that students lose financial support.¡±

While 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap in 바카라사이트 two sectors is about 바카라사이트 same at 바카라사이트 moment ¨C up to ?9,000 a year in Wales, and ?9,250 in England ¨C it would be impractical if ¡°Welsh students studying in Wales faced a higher tuition fee than English students sitting alongside 바카라사이트m¡±, Dr Conlon said. Of 11,250 students who started degrees at Cardiff University in 2017, for example, about 5,100 came from 바카라사이트 English school system, he said.

Amanda Wilkinson, director of Universities Wales, said that 바카라사이트 Diamond settlement had helped to improve access to higher education and that it was 바카라사이트refore ¡°essential [that] Wales¡¯ continued ability to deliver on Diamond should be maintained¡±.

The representative body has been conducting a review of 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 English review, led by Philip Augar, on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s devolved nations. This report, and 바카라사이트 Augar review itself, was expected to be published later this month.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com