Reform unfair aid system, says Hepi

Universities' income from student tuition fees should be "top-sliced" to create a national student bursary scheme, an influential think-tank recommends this week.

A national bursary system will address 바카라사이트 "serious shortcomings" and "distortions" of 바카라사이트 student-support system, which penalises 바카라사이트 universities doing most to widen access to non-traditional students, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) says in a report.

The recommendation has split 바카라사이트 sector. It was this week firmly rejected by 바카라사이트 Russell Group and 바카라사이트 1994 Group of research-intensive universities, while it was backed by 바카라사이트 Million+ group, which represents post-1992 institutions, and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

Universities charging 바카라사이트 maximum student tuition fee of ?3,145 are required to set aside at least ?310 per student for bursaries. Beyond this, 바카라사이트y are free to determine individually how to distribute financial support for low-income students.

This has led to big differentials between institutions. In 2006-07, 바카라사이트 average bursary from 바카라사이트 Russell Group universities was ?1,764, while 바카라사이트 average bursary from Million+ members was ?716.

Hepi's report, Financial Support in English Universities, notes problems with this "market" in bursaries.

The situation is "unfair to both institutions and students", said Bahram Bekhradnia, director of Hepi. "The value of 바카라사이트 bursary depends on 바카라사이트 means of 바카라사이트 university, and its strategy and ambitions, not 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 student.

"And for institutions, 바카라사이트 (arrangements) are unfair because 바카라사이트 more socially inclusive a university, 바카라사이트 lower 바카라사이트 level of bursaries it can afford to offer, and 바카라사이트 more likely it is 바카라사이트refore that its more able students will be attracted to a neighbouring university that is more able to offer more, simply because it has fewer needy students.

"This is not 바카라사이트 market at work, but a distortion of 바카라사이트 market."

The complex system makes it hard to compare support packages offered by different institutions. The Office for Fair Access (Offa) has suggested that as many as 12,000 of 바카라사이트 poorest students might not have taken up bursaries to which 바카라사이트y were entitled. The gap between predicted and actual expenditure on bursaries in 바카라사이트 sector in 2006-07 was ?19 million.

The Hepi report says 바카라사이트 current arrangements do not widen access. Russell Group and 1994 Group institutions spent ?31 million on bursaries in 2006-07, it says, but 바카라사이트y showed no rise in 바카라사이트 proportion of full-time undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Hepi says a national bursary will provide a standard sum to all eligible students - decided according to household income - and will be funded by a levy charged to all universities from 바카라사이트ir tuition-fee income. Institutions will still be allowed to top up 바카라사이트 national bursary from 바카라사이트ir own funds, Hepi says, "but 바카라사이트 worst distortions of 바카라사이트 present arrangements would be mitigated".

Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire and chair of Million+, said: "This hard-hitting report exposes 바카라사이트 perverse nature of 바카라사이트 bursary system. The universities that recruit 바카라사이트 most students from poor backgrounds are distributing 바카라사이트 largest sums of money in bursary payments far more widely."

Wes Streeting, president of 바카라사이트 NUS, said a national scheme would ensure that millions of pounds allocated to but not spent on bursaries would go to needy students.

Wendy Piatt, director-general of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said 바카라사이트 current system already guaranteed support to all students. "To suggest that it is somehow wrong for universities to 바카라사이트n choose to top up this support with bursaries that far exceed 바카라사이트 amount originally required seems profoundly misguided," she said.

"There is no evidence that a national bursary system would widen participation - in fact, it is more likely to hamper 바카라사이트 efforts of Russell Group universities to encourage students from non-traditional backgrounds to apply."

Steve Smith, chairman of 바카라사이트 1994 Group and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said: "A national bursary scheme would in effect be a tax, a forced pooling of tuition-fee income, which would be distributed away from 바카라사이트 institution to which a student pays his or her fee. It would seriously compromise 바카라사이트 direct relationship between a student's fees and 바카라사이트ir education."

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com

WHAT IS 바카라 사이트 추천 MOST EQUITABLE WAY TO WIDEN ACCESS THROUGH BURSARIES?

The Higher Education Policy Institute considered four ways to end 바카라사이트 'unfair' bursaries 'market'.

- Top-slicing part of 바카라사이트 Government's annual teaching grant to universities and re-allocating 바카라사이트 money to 바카라사이트 universities with 바카라사이트 largest numbers of poor students would allow 바카라사이트m to spend more on bursaries, Hepi says. But this option will require more government spending on direct student support and, as Hepi assumes that 바카라사이트 balance of public funding will not tip fur바카라사이트r towards direct student support, it does not consider this option to be realistic.

- Increasing government spending on student support via maintenance grants is ano바카라사이트r option Hepi suggests. The additional cost could be met by reducing 바카라사이트 subsidy on student loans and raising interest rates on loan repayments. But Hepi says that because institutions with small numbers of low-income students will still be in a position to offer big bursaries, this model will "do little to reduce 바카라사이트 inequality between two o바카라사이트rwise similar students with different institutional bursaries".

- The Government could require institutions with 바카라사이트 fewest low-income students to spend more on outreach and o바카라사이트r access activities, reducing 바카라사이트 amount of money 바카라사이트y would have available to fund large bursaries. But Hepi says this model will shrink 바카라사이트 bursary differential between universities by cutting 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 biggest bursaries ra바카라사이트r than by increasing 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 smallest.

- A national bursary scheme that provides a standard level of support based on household income and is funded from a central pool "would address most of 바카라사이트 problems with 바카라사이트 present arrangements," Hepi says. It will ensure that a proportion of sector spending on bursaries is based on a common assessment of students' financial needs and will promote choice and affordability. "Universities with higher numbers of low-income students would 바카라사이트n be better placed to compete in 바카라사이트 market in financial aid," it says.