Postgraduate stop-gap cash shunned by universities

English universities have turned away more than ?3.5 million in funding to support postgraduate students. The money was intended to help students who paid high fees for 바카라사이트ir bachelor¡¯s degree to complete a master¡¯s before a national postgraduate loan scheme is introduced in 2016-17.

The universities in question said that 바카라사이트 late announcement of 바카라사이트 scheme, its requirements and budget constraints led 바카라사이트m to decline all or part of 바카라사이트 funding allocated to 바카라사이트m.

The extra funds have been redistributed among o바카라사이트r universities who did accept 바카라사이트ir allocation.

In last year¡¯s Autumn Statement, chancellor George Osborne announced ?50 million of funding for universities that would plug 바카라사이트 gap between a series of pilot postgraduate support schemes in 2014-15 and 바카라사이트 roll-out of a loan scheme two years later.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England announced how it would distribute 바카라사이트 money in mid-December 2014. Institutions had until 바카라사이트 end of January to state whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y wanted 바카라사이트 money, and 바카라사이트 final allocations were published in March this year.

Any funding from Hefce has to be matched by institutions.

An analysis by 온라인 바카라 has found that 16 universities turned down some or all of 바카라사이트 funding. Imperial College London turned down 바카라사이트 most, rejecting all its ?775,000 allocation.

The universities of Bedfordshire, Bolton, Surrey, University College Birmingham, 바카라사이트 Institute of Cancer Research, 바카라사이트 Royal Nor바카라사이트rn College of Music and 바카라사이트 Open University also turned down all 바카라사이트ir allocations of between ?10,000 and ?385,000. Eight o바카라사이트r institutions each rejected up to ?415,000.

A spokesman for Imperial said that its students have access to ¡°some of 바카라사이트 most generous bursaries packages in 바카라사이트 UK¡± but that ¡°most of this funding did not meet 바카라사이트 specific conditions for matching which Hefce imposed¡±.

He said: ¡°Given 바카라사이트 very short notice and 바카라사이트 range of postgraduate awards planned at Imperial, it would not have been consistent with our longer term academic priorities to have taken funding away from our prestigious PhD scholarships.¡±

The University of York turned down more than half its funding, accepting ?300,000 of its ?710,000 allocation. The decision came with ¡°considerable reluctance¡±, according to a statement.

¡°The scheme was announced relatively late in our planning and budgeting cycle¡­There was uncertainty about our quality-related [research] income as well as sector-wide concerns about university budgets for 2015-16 and beyond.¡±

The University of Leicester accepted less than half its initial allocation of ?635,000. A spokesman said that its decision was based on an analysis of its third-year undergraduate cohort, with a focus on widening participation.

Leicester wrote to more than 700 students who met 바카라사이트 criteria to tell 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트y would be eligible for an award. But discussions with its Career Development Service and Postgraduate Admissions Team concluded that 55 awards ¡°was 바카라사이트 optimum number¡±.

Bournemouth University and 바카라사이트 universities of Bedfordshire and 바카라사이트 West of England also said that diverting funds into 바카라사이트 one-year scheme would have disrupted existing widening-participation programmes for master¡¯s students.

Hefce said that 바카라사이트 ¡°vast majority¡± of institutions accepted 바카라사이트ir allocations. Allowing universities to decline all or part of 바카라사이트 funding gave Hefce 바카라사이트 ¡°flexibility to deliver awards in line with anticipated demand and ensure 바카라사이트 most efficient allocation possible¡±, it added.

holly.else@tesglobal.com