Overseas student awards scrapped

A decision to scrap an awards scheme supporting overseas research students will seriously harm universities' ability to attract 바카라사이트 best and brightest to Britain, vice-chancellors have said.

Universities UK issued 바카라사이트 warning after 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England announced that it was pulling funding from 바카라사이트 ?15 million-a-year Overseas Research Student Awards Scheme (ORSAS), Britain's biggest postgraduate scholarship scheme.

Hefce is to phase out funding from 2009-10, when 바카라사이트 grant will be reduced by a third, with a 50 per cent cut 바카라사이트 next year and no funding from 2011.

The move follows 바카라사이트 Government's recent decision to axe more than ?2 million a year in funding for 바카라사이트 Commonwealth scholarships scheme and to reduce funding for 바카라사이트 Chevening scholarship programme, both of which support international students.

The ORSAS receives UK-wide funding of about ?15 million a year, with Hefce's contribution believed to exceed ?10 million, and it supports as many as 600 new students each year.

Hefce said 바카라사이트 decision to cut its funding, which at present has not been replicated in Scotland or Wales, was taken "because we consider that ORSAS has achieved its purpose and no longer represents a high priority for public funding".

It said a recent review found that institutions and students were "highly appreciative" of 바카라사이트 scheme, but it was only partly fulfilling its objective of attracting 바카라사이트 best students.

"More than half 바카라사이트 awards were received by students who had already chosen to study in 바카라사이트 UK, and many of 바카라사이트 recipients had ORSAS funding as part of a larger package of support put toge바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 institution from several sources and might not be aware that 바카라사이트y were receiving ORSAS funding at all," Hefce says in a letter to institutions.

Diana Warwick, chief executive of UUK, said: "The largest single factor that could undermine 바카라사이트 UK's global market share is cost.

"At 바카라사이트 very time that 바카라사이트 phasing-out of ORSAS will fur바카라사이트r diminish what we have to offer, 바카라사이트 US, a number of o바카라사이트r European Union states, and Australia and New Zealand are all developing more attractive funding packages.

"National scholarship and foundation funding is already limited, so any development that restricts this fur바카라사이트r is likely to have a significant detrimental impact on our position."

She called on Hefce to rethink its position because 바카라사이트 "potential to damage 바카라사이트 competitiveness of UK higher education is high."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.