 The
Higher Education Bill
The Government published
a new Higher Education Bill in January this year. From 2006, UK universities
and colleges will be able to charge variable tuition fees of up to £3,000
per year to full-time undergraduate students.
The University's position
The University remains committed
to widening participation and making higher education accessible to as
wide a range of people as possible. News & Views spoke to the University
Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Chris Taylor to get his view.
Professor Taylor said: "The
proposals, as they are currently articulated in the Higher Education Bill,
are like the curate's egg - some good and some bad.
"The Bill, as it is being proposed,
will benefit the University system differentially. Whilst all universities
will have an injection of funding, this will be of particular benefit
to some, which will widen the gap of financial viability. All Universities
provide a valuable contribution to higher education in the United Kingdom
- a different contribution but of equal value. The University of Bradford
is particularly concerned that students from deprived backgrounds will
not be able to attend the universities of their choice, or even university,
because of a real aversion to debt."
Although the Government will
provide maintenance grants to less well-off students, student loans will
rise by £340 to cover average basic living costs. A graduate earning £20,000
will only repay £8.65 a week but it will take longer to repay this debt.
Professor Taylor has openly talked about his concerns and recently refused
to sign an agreement for variable fees.
He said: "Variable top-up fees,
as they are currently presented, are strongly resisted. Differential fees
by course and university would be iniquitous in their implementation.
They would skew choice between courses as well as universities. Not only
would they disadvantage poorer students, but they would lead to the creation
of a tiered university system, and further uncalled-for competition, which
would not be advantageous to higher education and the interests of the
United Kingdom."
Professor Taylor is however
supportive of an increased regulated fee, which has the strong backing
of a significant number of members of Parliament.
He added: "From the point of
view of the University of Bradford, this would effect an equalisation
of the investment, which is to go into universities.
"The fact that there has been
unanimous agreement that universities have been under-funded in the last
20 years or so is a welcome recognition of the difficulties under which
higher education has been labouring.
"It is felt inevitable that
some of the increased investment in universities will have to come from
the students themselves, since they are the ones that benefit from the
education they receive. It is also important to recognise the more positive
aspects such as the increased investment in universities and the fact
that students will have no upfront payments associated with their studies."
The Way Forward
The main proposals of the Bill
will be implemented at the start of the academic year 2006/2007 and, although
the Bill will take several months to pass through Parliament before becoming
legislation, it is important that discussions start during this academic
year.
The University's Planning
and Budgeting Sub-Committee (PBSC) has therefore formed a group who will
assess the points outlined in the Bill, along with proposing a new policy.
The group will be made up of key representatives across the University
- including members of the Students' Union, academic staff, Student Registry,
Marketing, Finance and Planning - and they will report to the PBSC.
A decision on the policy to
be adopted is expected by the end of June 2004 with an agreement on fee
levels by December 2004.
For more information on the
Higher Education Bill, visit www.dfes.gov.uk/hegateway/henews/factsonfees/
(external link, will open in a new browser window)
20 April
2004
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