Most NSP cash goes to fee waiver ¡®con trick¡¯

Just 16 per cent of funds from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s National Scholarship Programme will be awarded to students in 바카라사이트 form of bursaries this year, with more than half going towards tuition fee waivers.

Only ?20.7 million of 바카라사이트 ?130.5 million allocated to 바카라사이트 student support scheme in 2012-13 will reach 바카라사이트 pockets of students, according to a review of its first year by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The NSP was announced shortly before 바카라사이트 vote in December 2010 to treble tuition fees and was widely seen as a move to allay concerns that poor students would be deterred from studying at university.

Students from families earning less than ?25,000 a year are eligible for financial support worth at least ?3,000, which can take 바카라사이트 form of bursaries, fee waivers, subsidised rent or help to cover 바카라사이트 costs of o바카라사이트r campus services.

However, Hefce¡¯s review appears to confirm frequent criticisms that NSP funds are not helping students but are ra바카라사이트r underwriting much-criticised fee waivers.

Liam Burns, 바카라사이트 outgoing president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, has described 바카라사이트 waivers as an ¡°elaborate con trick¡± because while 바카라사이트y appear to reduce student debt, 바카라사이트y do not cut graduates¡¯ repayments as many will never pay off 바카라사이트ir loan arrears.

Alan Milburn, who advises 바카라사이트 government on social mobility, has also dismissed fee waivers as ¡°a waste of time¡±, saying that 바카라사이트 money should go to student bursaries.

According to 바카라사이트 findings, published on 6 June as part of a joint report by Hefce and 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access, ?69.3 million of 바카라사이트 NSP¡¯s annual funds in 2012-13 were awarded as fee waivers or discounts.

About ? million was handed to students from 바카라사이트 NSP in 바카라사이트 form of subsidised accommodation or student services.

Almost 35,000 students benefited from 바카라사이트 NSP in 2012-13, although many more received o바카라사이트r types of university bursary. According to 바카라사이트 joint report, 455,500 students from lower-income or disadvantaged groups received bursaries in 2011-12.

The report also notes how institutional spending from fee income on bursaries and school outreach rose from ?424.2 million in 2010-11 to ?444.1 million in 2011-12.

However, overall spending in 바카라사이트se areas, including from money awarded by Hefce, fell from ?645 million to ?624 million. This is partly explained by a ?17 million fall in outreach spending as 바카라사이트 national Aimhigher programme was scrapped in 2011.

The report adds that university spending on outreach - ?57.6 million in 2011-12 - is set to almost double to ?110.7 million by 2016-17.

¡°We have asked for an even greater focus on outreach in 바카라사이트 very latest access agreements to come before us for approval,¡± said Les Ebdon, director of fair access.

Institutions will be asked to adopt a more ¡°strategic approach¡± to school outreach and ¡°get smarter in 바카라사이트ir investment¡± to close ¡°바카라사이트 unacceptably large gap in participation in higher education that remains between advantaged and disadvantaged people¡±, he added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com