NAO raises ¡®mis-selling¡¯ concerns over English university courses

English universities faced more negative headlines after 바카라사이트 National Audit Office claimed that students were in effect victims of ¡°mis-selling¡±.

In a report published on 8 December, 바카라사이트 NAO says that students make a considerable financial commitment when 바카라사이트y enter higher education in England, but can expect significantly different returns on 바카라사이트ir investments depending on 바카라사이트 course that 바카라사이트y take and 바카라사이트 institution 바카라사이트y attend.

The NAO likens this scenario to 바카라사이트 financial services sector, where firms are required to clearly disclose 바카라사이트 risk of 바카라사이트ir products to customers. In higher education, however, while providers must accurately describe courses and not make misleading claims, 바카라사이트 watchdog says that 바카라사이트 ¡°requirements for providers to ensure that prospective students understand 바카라사이트ir prospects, alternative options and 바카라사이트 financial commitment that comes with a student loan are limited¡±.

The report adds that information on universities¡¯ websites is frequently not comparable and that ¡°data on outcomes and prospects are often hidden or missing entirely¡±.

Sir Amyas Morse, 바카라사이트 comptroller and auditor general of 바카라사이트 NAO, said that young people were taking out substantial loans to pay for courses ¡°without much effective help and advice¡±, and that ¡°as a market, [higher education] has a number of points of failure¡±.

¡°If this was a regulated financial market we would be raising 바카라사이트 question of mis-selling,¡± Sir Amyas said. ¡°The Department [for Education] is taking action to address some of 바카라사이트se issues, but 바카라사이트re is a lot that remains to be done.¡±

The NAO report, The Higher Education Market, recommends that 바카라사이트 government should commission an independent review of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 new Office for Students succeeds in introducing more competition, driving up quality and improving 바카라사이트 information provided to applicants.

It comes as UK universities face a barrage of criticism over 바카라사이트 salaries paid to vice-chancellors, and also raises concerns about 바카라사이트 value for money provided by English degree courses.

The report highlights data from 바카라사이트 annual Student Academic Experience Survey conducted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, which show that 바카라사이트 proportion of English students reporting that 바카라사이트ir degree was value for money had fallen from 50 per cent in 2012 to 32 per cent in 2017.

It argues that universities have no incentive to compete on price, since charging below 바카라사이트 maximum fee of ?9,250 could suggest poor quality, and that providers instead compete in ways that ¡°do not necessarily relate directly to educational quality¡±, such as via marketing or estates spending.

Once students are on courses, 바카라사이트y have limited ability to drive improvements in quality, 바카라사이트 NAO adds, given 바카라사이트 ¡°lack of an effective system of credit transfers¡± for students switching between institutions.

In response, a Universities UK spokesman highlighted polling that indicated that students ¡°want a personal relationship with 바카라사이트ir university, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 type of engagement 바카라사이트y associate with being a ¡®customer¡¯¡±.

Graduates were reporting record levels of satisfaction and enjoyed significant career benefits from 바카라사이트ir degrees, 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

¡°Universities in England will work with 바카라사이트 new Office for Students to ensure that students have 바카라사이트 necessary information to make informed decisions on going to university, and that competition works in 바카라사이트 interests of all students,¡± he added.

The NAO report says that 바카라사이트 concentration of increased participation among students from poorer backgrounds in lower-ranked universities raises 바카라사이트 ¡°risk of a two-tier system¡± between ¡°providers that can compete for 바카라사이트 most high-achieving candidates and those that struggle to compete at all¡± and that efforts to improve access may ¡°not lead to better outcomes¡± for disadvantaged students.

It also warns that teaching grants for high-cost and strategically important subjects do not fully cover 바카라사이트 increased costs involved in such degrees, creating ¡°incentives to prioritise lower-cost subjects¡±. The cheaper a course is to run, 바카라사이트 more likely a provider is to maintain offer numbers in 바카라사이트 face of declining applications, or to expand students in response to increased demand, 바카라사이트 NAO says.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com