Study highlights fees deterrent for postgraduates

An analysis of fees by Philip Wales, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics specialising in 바카라사이트 economics of higher education, finds 바카라사이트 average cost of taught postgraduate study rose from around ?3,200 a year in 2003-04 to ?4,300 in 2009-10.

The findings, to be presented at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Royal Economic Society at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, are billed by 바카라사이트 RES as ¡°바카라사이트 first comprehensive study on 바카라사이트 effect of fees on postgraduate education in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

The study says a 10 per cent increase in postgraduate tuition fees is associated with a fall of between 1.7 per cent and 4.5 per cent in 바카라사이트 probability of a student continuing 바카라사이트ir studies.

And it says undergraduate students from poorer backgrounds are less likely to progress to postgraduate study than wealthier students, even after controlling for 바카라사이트ir prior academic performance.

Students from 바카라사이트 poorest socio-economic groups are between 1.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent less likely to progress than students from wealthier backgrounds, 바카라사이트 study finds.

The study used 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act to ga바카라사이트r information from more than 150 universities on what master¡¯s level courses were offered and what tuition fees were charged between 2003-04 and 2009-10. This was 바카라사이트n used to construct a data set of postgraduate fees by subject and institution.

According to 바카라사이트 RES, Mr Wales concludes that ¡°while 바카라사이트 most important predictor of postgraduate progression is prior academic performance, socio-economic group exerts a negative impact on progression rates. Policy change is needed to address this socio-economic gap.¡±

The society says that Mr Wales also recommends that 바카라사이트 government ¡°should commit to monitoring tuition fees at postgraduate level. Before this study, 바카라사이트 lack of a single source of postgraduate fees data was a significant barrier to understanding changing patterns of demand for postgraduate study.¡±

The RES conference runs between 26 and 28 March.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com