Lack of detail on PhD loan scheme signals ¡®clear and present danger¡¯

Loans for PhD students announced by George Osborne could be intended to pave 바카라사이트 way for cuts to public funding for postgraduate research study, according to one observer, although 바카라사이트 government insists that 바카라사이트re are no plans to reduce current funding.

The Budget delivered by 바카라사이트 chancellor on 18 March contained plans to introduce income-contingent loans of up to ?25,000 for PhD and research master¡¯s students.

¡°These loans will be in addition to existing funding, and designed to minimise public subsidy,¡± say Treasury Budget documents, which fail to give any cost for 바카라사이트 loans or timescale for 바카라사이트ir introduction.

The loans for research postgraduates come in addition to taught postgraduate loans offering funding of up to ?10,000 announced in December¡¯s Autumn Statement, to be made available from 2016-17.

James Wilsdon, professor of science and democracy in 바카라사이트 Science Policy Research Unit at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, said that ¡°without more detail on how this new scheme will work, 바카라사이트 Budget announcement signals a clear and present danger to existing PhD funding through 바카라사이트 research councils. Indeed, rumours suggest that this is [바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s] ultimate goal here, as a way of relieving wider pressures on 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and 바카라사이트 research council budget.¡±

Currently, PhD students who win funding are usually supported by a combination of research councils and funding via Higher Education Funding Council for England block grant.

Public support for PhDs amounted to about ?633 million in 2014-15, with 바카라사이트 research councils providing ?393 million for PhDs and Hefce ?240 million for postgraduate research. The research budget could be seen by BIS as offering some potential for cuts under a future government seeking fur바카라사이트r austerity, although such a move is thought unlikely by most observers.

Asked what 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 postgraduate research loans will be, a BIS spokeswoman said: ¡°It¡¯s still too early to give a figure.¡±

She added: ¡°There are no plans to reduce or withdraw grant funding for postgraduate research degrees. However, we wish to widen access to 바카라사이트 opportunities created by participating in postgraduate research.¡±

The spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 ¡°design and terms¡± for postgraduate research loans will be considered after a consultation, which she said, at 바카라사이트 time 온라인 바카라 went to press, would be published ¡°shortly¡±. The consultation will be on support for postgraduate study generally, also covering 바카라사이트 planned taught postgraduate loans.

Mick Fuller, chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education and head of 바카라사이트 graduate school at Plymouth University, said that 바카라사이트 idea of income-contingent loans for postgraduate research students ¡°on 바카라사이트 face of it seems good¡±. But he argued: ¡°As soon as you introduce a national loans scheme, 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves will want to push 바카라사이트 [PhD] fees up to get as much of that loan into 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ coffers [as possible].¡±

And Professor Fuller warned that ?25,000 ¡°won¡¯t even pay for three years¡¯ living costs¡± for PhD students, aside from fee costs.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com