changes in the financial structure of higher education in the UK

Dominik Wujastyk wujastyk at GMAIL.COM
Mon Dec 13 16:54:46 UTC 2010


A few days ago, the government of the UK voted to allow universities to
charge students in England up to £9000 per annum for doing an undergraduate
degree.  This does not apply to Scotland, where education is still free.  So
there's a very substantial financial difference for a student between
choosing to do a Sanskrit degree in Oxford (potentially £27,000) or
Edinburgh (free).

KEY FACTS (from the BBC website):

   - Fees in England to rise from 2012 to a maximum of £9,000 a year
   - Universities charging more than £6,000 will have to meet requirements
   designed to help poorer students
   - Graduates will begin paying back loans covering their fees once they
   are earning at least £21,000 a year
   - They will pay back 9% of their earnings above this level
   - No tuition fees in Scotland, but universities there are calling for
   'graduate contributions'
   - Fees in Wales are to rise in line with those in England - but Welsh
   students will be subsidised wherever they study in the UK so will pay no
   more than the current fees of £3,290 a year
   - A review of the system in Northern Ireland is under way

A more detailed summary is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11483638

Note also that a 40% cut is forecast in funding for university teaching, a
shortfall that will fall affect the humanities.  Other sources say it is a
100% cut, i.e., a complete freeze on all employment in the humanities
sector.  The worst fears expressed in this article, signed by many
distinguished professors, are now certain to take place:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/oct/22/brownes-plans-knowledge-in-decline
.

Dominik Wujastyk





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