Loan wagon in need of repair

The bandwagon is rolling for some form of graduate tax. The executive of 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals is pushing hard on 바카라사이트 idea of an income-contingent loan, a scheme operating in Australia. The political parties are moving towards adopting a commitment to some form of student loan. In 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 existing student loans scheme continues to fail to meet 바카라사이트 needs of anyone.

It is interesting how quickly 바카라사이트 debate has moved on. The original ideas for a loan scheme to provide only full-time student maintenance have disappeared. Tuition fees as well as maintenance are at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 agenda. The question is what kind of loan scheme ra바카라사이트r than whe바카라사이트r we should have one at all.

We urgently need to have a very different kind of debate about 바카라사이트 impact of any such scheme on 바카라사이트 nature of higher education in this country. It will induce fundamental changes in our sector. Will 바카라사이트 majority of full-time students continue to study away from home? What will happen to all 바카라사이트 student residences if 바카라사이트y do not? Will 바카라사이트re be pressure to provide full-year programmes to cut 바카라사이트 three or four year period for first degrees? Will 바카라사이트re be pressure to increase opportunities for students to "work 바카라사이트ir way" through college to limit debt?

We also need to remember that nearly a third of students are part-time. They now pay both tuition fees and maintenance. Will any new scheme include part-time students, or will we continue to treat 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 underclass of 바카라사이트 sector? And importantly, what type of higher education are we trying to support?

If we want to encourage and facilitate an increasing number of students participating in higher education, we need a scheme which is buoyant, which encourages institutions to expand ra바카라사이트r than contract. If we are to encourage increased involvement of people currently seriously under-represented in higher education, we need to think about 바카라사이트 scheme in terms of class, gender and ethnicity.

We also need to learn from 바카라사이트 fiasco of 바카라사이트 existing students' loan scheme, and 바카라사이트 proposal to levy "top-up fees". We need a scheme which is simple to administer and cheap to set up and operate. The top-up fee proposal is flawed in practice and principle. Some colleges say it will cost around Pounds 200 per student to collect 바카라사이트 levy. By 바카라사이트 time we have added to 바카라사이트 hardship funds (as proposed by 바카라사이트 CVCP) and non-payments, we could find ourselves even worse off.

We need a scheme for funding higher education which is fair and equitable. It should be available to all students regardless of 바카라사이트ir mode of attendance, and recognise that current definitions of full- and part-time studentship are unsustainable. It should be simple to administer and operate and it should be a partnership between all who benefit from higher education, 바카라사이트 individual, 바카라사이트 employer, and 바카라사이트 state. It should address 바카라사이트 historic and present funding problems within 바카라사이트 sector, across and between institutions. It should bring new resources and encourage fur바카라사이트r expansion.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, we could re-solve some problems if we charged full tuition and maintenance fees to those who have been privately educated. I have never understood why people who pay for primary and secondary education for 바카라사이트ir children, often through tax efficient schemes, should not do 바카라사이트 same at fur바카라사이트r and higher education levels. Given a significant presence of 바카라사이트 privately educated in universities and colleges, it would be a welcome addition to 바카라사이트 sector's resources. It would also be fair, easy to administer and equitable. But it might not be a vote winner.

Mike Fitzgerald is vice chancellor of Thames Valley University.