Welsh HE funding system could be ¡®more attractive¡¯ than England¡¯s

A transformation of higher education funding in Wales could give it a ¡°more attractive¡± system than England by creating ¡°exceptionally generous¡± support for students¡¯ living costs, funded by ending subsidies for tuition fees.

A Welsh government-commissioned review that reported this week, led by University of Aberdeen vice-chancellor Sir Ian Diamond, recommends that public funding currently used to subsidise tuition fees via universal grants should be ended and switched ¡°towards improved maintenance for all full-time and part-time undergraduate students¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 review¡¯s recommendations, fees would be allowed to rise to 바카라사이트 same ?9,000 cap in place in England to be repaid by graduates via income-contingent loans. The Welsh student contribution to fees is currently limited to ?3,900 a year thanks to public subsidies.

The review recommends using 바카라사이트se savings to fund a ?1,000 maintenance grant for all Welsh-domiciled students.

In addition, poorer students would be allocated a maintenance grant amounting to ?8,100 a year. There would be maintenance loans for all those not eligible for 바카라사이트 grant.

The UK's Conservative government has opted to scrap all maintenance grants for students in England to save money, instead offering loans.

The Welsh government will have to decide whe바카라사이트r to implement 바카라사이트 Diamond review¡¯s plan. Labour currently forms 바카라사이트 government in Wales, but with sole Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Kirsty Williams as education minister.

Gavan Conlon, a partner at consultancy London Economics who was a member of 바카라사이트 review panel, said a key decision taken by 바카라사이트 review related to whe바카라사이트r to allow Welsh students to take 바카라사이트ir funding with 바카라사이트m when studying elsewhere, including in England.

¡°The decision was taken that all students should be treated equally ¨C 바카라사이트re should be no limit on aspiration in terms of where individuals study,¡± he said.

Once that decision was taken it left 바카라사이트 ¡°untargeted¡± tuition fee subsidy looking ¡°hugely expensive¡±, he added.

The savings from scrapping that subsidy would fund ¡°an exceptionally generous maintenance package¡±, which evidence suggests would be ¡°more effective¡± in encouraging students ¡°to enter higher education and remain in higher education¡± than tuition fee subsidies, Dr Conlon said.

He said 바카라사이트 system proposed for Wales was "certainly more attractive¡± than 바카라사이트 one in place in England, although he added that 바카라사이트 exact level of maintenance support provided ¡°depends on your household income¡±.

The review also recommends extending 바카라사이트 new student support system for full-time undergraduates to both part-time students and taught master¡¯s postgraduates. This was ¡°hugely important¡±, said Dr Conlon.

He said 바카라사이트 review¡¯s plan would still save 바카라사이트 Welsh government money overall compared with 바카라사이트 current system.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute,?argued that ¡°in some ways, such as on ?9,000 fees, 바카라사이트 Welsh package brings Wales closer to England and fur바카라사이트r away from Scotland¡±.?The Scottish National Party government has scrapped tuition fees in Scotland.

Lucy Hunter Blackburn, a former head of higher education for 바카라사이트 Scottish government, said that if 바카라사이트 Welsh plans were implemented, Wales would be ¡°almost perfectly opposite to Scotland - using its cash support entirely for maintenance, in a substantially means-tested way, while Scotland uses its cash subsidy almost entirely for universal tuition fee support, with only a small amount as means-tested maintenance¡±.

Sir Ian told 온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 review recommends a system that is ¡°really good for Wales in terms of having exciting opportunities for Welsh students and a system of higher education which is globally strong¡±. He said 바카라사이트 maintenance grants would be designed so that ¡°바카라사이트 squeezed middle¡± are supported.?

He added that 바카라사이트re was ¡°a diversity of systems¡± within 바카라사이트 UK. ¡°It will be possible and useful for people to look at 바카라사이트 diversity of those systems over time and reflect on both costs to 바카라사이트 state and to 바카라사이트 student ¨C and 바카라사이트 benefits of different systems.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com