Changes in funding for higher education
21 October, 2010
David Willetts has provided further details of the timetable for changes in funding for HE in a speech to HEFCE today. He has also provided indications of government thinking of some aspects of Browne's proposals. Key points on timing are:
- The government hopes to bring forward proposals on graduate contribution levels to Parliament before Christmas to enable changes to be implemented for Autumn 2012.
- They are also seeking an early opportunity to make the changes to primary legislation necessary to introduce a real rate of interest on contributions and to update repayment regulations.
- They aim to publish a White Paper this Winter and to introduce a broader higher education bill perhaps later on in this current, extended session. Starting from the 2012/13 academic year, they plan to start to reduce HEFCE teaching funding.
- The institutional landscape will not change before the academic year 2012/13.
Key points on Browne's proposals are:
- Willetts endorses it as broadly the right approach, but says that the government has set themselves the task of improving on Browne and coming up with proposals that offer even more help for students from the poorest backgrounds but without unfair penalties on success.
- They have not reached a final decision on the levy and the fee cap but points out the possibility of setting new levels for both the basic cap and higher rate cap, with stringent conditions on access which any institution would have to meet before setting a graduate contribution at the higher rate.
- He indicates that the government is willing to look at Browne's proposal on controlling student numbers via UCAS tariff points.
- He also acknowledges concerns about the proposed amalgamation of bodies and says that his own current thinking is that merging HEFCE and OFFA would be sensible once funding to universities is channelled through students rather than through HEFCE
- He also confirms that the ring-fence for science and research programmes will be maintained.