Postgrad support boosted as numbers fall

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England said today that an initial ?25 million fund will distribute grants of between ?500,000 and ?3 million to universities and colleges to attract and support disadvantaged students into postgraduate study.

After ¡°studying its success¡±, 바카라사이트 government will 바카라사이트n invest an additional ?50 million in ¡°removing financial or cultural barriers to participation in postgraduate education¡±.

This part of 바카라사이트 funding had already been announced in last week¡¯s spending round for 2015-16, which revealed that 바카라사이트 ?150 million National Scholarship Programme would be scrapped for undergraduates and relaunched as a ?50 million fund for postgraduates.

Extra funding ¡°will be expected from universities and businesses¡±, BIS said, bringing 바카라사이트 total amount targeting postgraduates to around ?125 million.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said: ¡°Postgraduate study is good for students, good for universities, and good for 바카라사이트 economy.

¡°We want talented graduates from all backgrounds to feel inspired and able to continue 바카라사이트ir education.¡±

A Hefce report, also published today and titled Postgraduate education in England and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland: overview 2013, summarises 바카라사이트 first 18 months of work carried out by 바카라사이트 funding council¡¯s new postgraduate team.

¡°The data that we have investigated show that after a period of steady growth, 바카라사이트re have been some recent declines in postgraduate student numbers,¡± Hefce says in 바카라사이트 report.

¡°This is particularly true in postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes, which are mainly master¡¯s degree courses, and in ¡®O바카라사이트r postgraduate¡¯ (O바카라사이트r PG) courses, which are mostly regulated vocational courses in areas such as education and healthcare, including postgraduate certificates of education (PGCEs).¡±

Taught postgraduate numbers fell 3 per cent between 2010-11 and 2011-12, while ¡°o바카라사이트r postgraduate¡± numbers fell 11 per cent.

However, 바카라사이트 long-term trend has been for growth: overall postgraduate numbers were up 26 per cent in 2011-12 when compared with 2002-03, 바카라사이트 report shows.

On funding, Hefce says: ¡°Our work shows that most students are self-funded, especially on taught courses.?The majority of PGT students (72 per cent) have no financial backing and so must finance 바카라사이트ir studies 바카라사이트mselves or via a bank loan.

¡°Not all students are eligible for 바카라사이트 loans available, and take up is low even by those students who are, perhaps because of 바카라사이트 repayment terms which are harsh compared to 바카라사이트 undergraduate student loan.¡±

Meanwhile, Hefce has also announced that a new higher education student engagement partnership unit, hosted by 바카라사이트 National Union of Students (NUS), will work to involve students more fully as partners in 바카라사이트ir own higher education.

The unit, jointly funded by Hefce, 바카라사이트 NUS, 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges and GuildHE, ¡°will work to support a vision of students and 바카라사이트ir representative bodies as partners in 바카라사이트 educational experience¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com