Hopes rise for ¡®something big¡¯ on postgraduate funding

Fur바카라사이트r details of a ¡°workable and affordable¡± model for a state-backed postgraduate loan scheme have been unveiled as leading sector figures suggest that 바카라사이트 government could be about to back similar support for such students.

With 바카라사이트 chancellor George Osborne known to be preparing an announcement on postgraduate funding in his Autumn Statement, 바카라사이트 Institute for Public Policy Research has released modelling on a popular proposal for a loan scheme.

The centre-left thinktank says that a loan of ?10,000 could be provided to taught postgraduate students at a subsidy cost of ?44 million a year, according to its report, titled Reaching Higher: Reforming Student Loans to Broaden Access to Postgraduate Study.

That is less than 바카라사이트 ?50 million scheduled to be announced in postgraduate support on 3 December ¨C money left over from 바카라사이트 recasting of 바카라사이트 undergraduate National Scholarship Programme ¨C with Treasury insiders hinting that it may take 바카라사이트 form of a loan scheme, ra바카라사이트r than simply bursaries.

Under 바카라사이트 IPPR¡¯s model, which stems from an idea first put forward by economist Tim Leunig, now a policy adviser at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, and later by 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, postgraduates would repay 9 per cent of 바카라사이트ir income between ?15,000 and ?21,000 over 30 years. The thinktank says that 바카라사이트 proposal is ¡°eminently affordable¡±, with 바카라사이트 Treasury writing off just 6.9 per cent of loans (?230 per person on average).

That is far lower than 바카라사이트 40 to 45 per cent of undergraduate loans currently being written off, which amounts to a loan subsidy of ?4.2 billion, 바카라사이트 IPPR says.

The scheme would also require direct financial support for postgraduate courses to total ?103 million a year; current recurrent spending on taught postgraduate courses totals about ?130 million.

It would also add just over ?1 billion to 바카라사이트 national debt in 바카라사이트 short term, 바카라사이트 IPPR says.

¡°Given that 93 per cent of this money will be recouped in graduate repayments, we believe this is an investment worth making,¡± says Rick Muir, 바카라사이트 report¡¯s author.

Several universities are already testing small-scale loan schemes funded by a ?25 million pilot scheme provided by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Madeleine Atkins, its chief executive, has said that she is ¡°hopeful¡± that Mr Osborne will announce fur바카라사이트r postgraduate support in his speech in December, while Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has also hinted at a major announcement at that point.

But Professor Atkins said that she expected details of postgraduate funding to be released no later than December because ¡°universities need to get out and market that scheme to make sure 바카라사이트y have students coming through¡±.

¡°If we are going to have a [postgraduate] scheme in 2015-16, we really need to get on with it,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said Mr Osborne may be considering ¡°something big¡± on postgraduate funding, particularly if it supported 바카라사이트 sciences, social mobility and economic growth.

¡°Every time someone has gone to him with a serious higher education problem, such as protecting research funding or uncapping student numbers, he has responded very positively,¡± said Mr Hillman.

¡°However, we have not yet worked out how he will pay for last year¡¯s big policy [lifting 바카라사이트 cap on student numbers], so it would need to be an almost zero charge scheme,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com