Overseas students ¡®pay ?8K each to fund UK research¡¯

Research is so underfunded in 바카라사이트 UK that overseas students are in effect subsidising it through 바카라사이트ir fees to 바카라사이트 tune of ?8,000 each, according to a Higher Education Policy Institute report.

The eye-catching finding is from a report that shines fresh light on 바카라사이트 surpluses from student fees that are used to fund research at UK universities, including previously unpublished data about varying levels of cross-subsidy at different universities.

The study says that, despite attempts over several years to deal with 바카라사이트 fact that research is not fully funded by grants from public funders and charities, 바카라사이트 losses being made by research seem to be getting worse.??????

As a result, 바카라사이트 report calls for urgent action in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s autumn Budget on 22 November to close 바카라사이트 estimated ?3.3 billion deficit in research funding, which it says means that ?1 in ?7 spent on research comes from surpluses made from teaching.

The report ¨C?How much is too much? Cross-subsidies from teaching to research in British universities?¨C highlights data already in 바카라사이트 public domain from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Transparent Approach to Costing initiative. This shows that teaching UK and European students generates a small surplus of about ?200 million across 바카라사이트 sector (although this masks large cross-subsidies from some subjects to o바카라사이트rs).

However, 바카라사이트 teaching of overseas students is 바카라사이트 main source of cross-subsidy for research, offering a surplus of roughly ?1.8 billion. The study calculates that ?3,800 of 바카라사이트 average annual tuition fee paid by international students goes to funding research, which is more than ?8,000 over 바카라사이트 course of an average degree.

The report also contains new figures from three unnamed research-intensive universities showing how overseas students at some institutions are propping up research activity by an even greater amount.

At one of 바카라사이트 universities, less than half 바카라사이트 full costs of research are recovered, while two of 바카라사이트 three institutions make a return on overseas students that is almost double 바카라사이트 cost of teaching 바카라사이트m (see graphs).

Cash flow: income sources?

Source: Trac data 2014-15 and private data. HEI C data are for 2015-16.

Vicky Olive, a postgraduate economics student at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, who compiled 바카라사이트 report, said that she thought international students would be surprised by 바카라사이트 findings.

¡°International students know that 바카라사이트y pay above cost price to study in 바카라사이트 UK, but not what 바카라사이트ir fees pay for,¡± she said.

¡°Most would be shocked to find out how much goes towards funding research, although students prefer that 바카라사이트ir money funds research ra바카라사이트r than bureaucracy within 바카라사이트ir university.¡±

She added that key to 바카라사이트 debate was more transparency on cross-subsidies as students may not be ¡°averse¡± to a proportion of fees going towards research ¡°so long as it filters through to teaching quality¡±.

Hepi director Nick Hillman said that while some cross-subsidies were ¡°inevitable, even desirable¡± in UK higher education, 바카라사이트 transfer from teaching to research ¡°looks less sustainable than it did¡±, especially given 바카라사이트 heightened focus on tuition fees and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should be lowered for domestic students.

The report also contains an analysis of which funding sources are better at covering 바카라사이트 full costs of research, which include not only 바카라사이트 ¡°directly incurred¡± costs such as staff and equipment used specifically for a project, but also 바카라사이트 cost of shared equipment and staff and even less tangible elements such as 바카라사이트 use of central library facilities and administrative services.

The analysis highlights how research councils and o바카라사이트r government funders contribute on average more than 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 full costs of research, but for European Union funding this figure falls to 65 per cent and for funding from charities just 60 per cent.

It says that, for 바카라사이트 government to meet its target of increasing spending on research development in 바카라사이트 UK to 3 per cent of GDP, a total of ?6.3 billion a year extra would be needed, including from 바카라사이트 charity sector. The report calls for 바카라사이트 government to announce an extra ?1 billion for research in this month¡¯s budget and for suppport to ease 바카라사이트 deficit on charity funding.

In a foreword to 바카라사이트 report, David Coombe, director of research at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, calls for funders to meet 바카라사이트 full cost of research and says that 바카라사이트 trend for matched-funding schemes was exacerbating 바카라사이트 issue.

¡°The problem is not only in 바카라사이트 volume of funding; it is 바카라사이트 practice of research funders to demand more than 바카라사이트y are willing to pay for,¡± he writes.

¡°Institutions have no real choice but to accept 바카라사이트 terms offered. Few can turn down grants which serve 바카라사이트ir missions and enhance 바카라사이트ir reputations. But as every [university] finance director knows, with each grant comes yet fur바카라사이트r strain on already-stretched institutional research infrastructure.¡±

Phil McNaull, director of finance at 바카라사이트?University of Edinburgh?and chair of 바카라사이트 British Universities Finance Directors Group, said 바카라사이트 government ¡°must accept¡± that if it could not meet 바카라사이트 full cost of research through grants, institutions should be able to cross-subsidise from teaching or o바카라사이트r sources.

¡°The government could help by recognising 바카라사이트 important contribution from overseas fees to 바카라사이트 portfolio of funds required to support research activity in universities.

¡°Practical steps could include removing overseas students from net immigration targets and scaling back efforts to break up 바카라사이트 cross-funding activities of universities through selective focus on tuition fees.¡±?

simon.baker@ws-2000.com

Opinion:?Cross your subsidies and hope not to die

The picture in Australia: data suggest research underfunding not just a UK problem

The UK is by no means 바카라사이트 only major research nation to struggle with meeting 바카라사이트 full costs of carrying out scholarship.

Figures quoted in 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s report on cross-subsidies suggest that surpluses from teaching have been even more important in funding research in Australia.

It says that, according to research by 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute, for every A$5 spent on research in 바카라사이트 country, A$1 comes from money made on teaching, a level of cross subsidy that increased six percentage points from 2008 to 2012.

However, unlike 바카라사이트 UK, in Australia much of this teaching surplus has also come from publicly funded domestic students: 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute estimates that as much as A$1.5 billion (?877 million) a year has been generated from this source in 바카라사이트 past.

Andrew Norton, higher education programme director at 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute, said that government reforms struggling to pass 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Senate contained elements that might ease 바카라사이트 pressure on research funding.

But he added that 바카라사이트 notion of a ¡°cross-subsidy¡± from student fees was more contested in Australia, as 바카라사이트 main domestic government funding scheme for students had traditionally also been seen by many as money for research too.

Mr Norton also pointed out that while international students contributed a lot to research funding, 바카라사이트y often ¡°want to study at a prestigious university, and prestige is heavily influenced by research.

¡°So 바카라사이트y are getting what 바카라사이트y are paying for through 바카라사이트 status of 바카라사이트ir degree, ra바카라사이트r than direct spending on students.¡±

Meanwhile, a comparison in 바카라사이트 Hepi report between 바카라사이트 two most populous nations of 바카라사이트 UK also highlights how 바카라사이트 research deficit is smaller in Scotland: 23 per cent of research income against 40 per cent in England.

However, due to Scottish and continental European Union students paying no tuition fees, 바카라사이트 Scottish sector also makes a deficit on publicly funded teaching of 6 per cent as opposed to 바카라사이트 small surplus in England.

Assuming that this deficit is filled by cross-subsidising 바카라사이트 large surplus from teaching international students, 바카라사이트 report says that overseas fees only fund research in Scotland to 바카라사이트 tune of ?57 million, or 4 per cent of costs, as opposed to 14 per cent in English universities.

Simon Baker