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Call for fairer student bursaries | Call for fairer student bursaries |
(1 day later) | |
Students from poorer homes are losing out under the current system of university bursaries, a report claims. | Students from poorer homes are losing out under the current system of university bursaries, a report claims. |
The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) says students with similar needs receive differing amounts of financial help from institutions. | |
Hepi says a national bursary scheme for England is the only way to ensure awards are fairly allocated. | |
The idea was rejected by universities and the government, but welcomed by the National Union of Students. | The idea was rejected by universities and the government, but welcomed by the National Union of Students. |
In its report, Hepi says there is a "highly variegated market" in bursaries which makes it very difficult for students to compare the various financial packages on offer at different institutions. | |
The different criteria used by different universities to determine eligibility for financial support adds to the complexity, Hepi says. | The different criteria used by different universities to determine eligibility for financial support adds to the complexity, Hepi says. |
The current system is complex and confusing Wes StreetingNational Union of Students president | The current system is complex and confusing Wes StreetingNational Union of Students president |
It also points to the uneven distribution of poorer students across the higher education sector, saying this distorts the current market in bursaries. | It also points to the uneven distribution of poorer students across the higher education sector, saying this distorts the current market in bursaries. |
"Universities with the most demanding entry requirements are likely to have smaller proportions of students from low-income households and are therefore able to provide more generous means-tested bursaries" the report says. | "Universities with the most demanding entry requirements are likely to have smaller proportions of students from low-income households and are therefore able to provide more generous means-tested bursaries" the report says. |
"The result of this is that students with the same level of need may receive very different levels of means-tested bursaries." | "The result of this is that students with the same level of need may receive very different levels of means-tested bursaries." |
The report says students from poorer backgrounds at a university with many other students from poor homes will be more reliant on term-time work to help finance basic living costs, compounding inequality. | The report says students from poorer backgrounds at a university with many other students from poor homes will be more reliant on term-time work to help finance basic living costs, compounding inequality. |
The Hepi report calls for a national bursary scheme which would offer a standard level of support to students on a means-tested basis. | |
This would be funded from pooled income from universities, with institutions passing their contributions directly to the government. | This would be funded from pooled income from universities, with institutions passing their contributions directly to the government. |
'No evidence' | |
England's Minister for Higher Education Bill Rammell said it was for institutions themselves, subject to approval from Offa (the Office for Fair Access), to decide how to support their students. | |
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | |
The Russell Group, which represents large research-led universities, said there was no evidence that a national bursary system would widen participation. | The Russell Group, which represents large research-led universities, said there was no evidence that a national bursary system would widen participation. |
Director general Dr Wendy Piatt said: "A national bursary system would create many losers and few winners as there would be relatively small increases to a standard bursary but many high-achieving, low-income students would lose out on substantial support currently available." | |
The 1994 Group, which represents smaller research-intensive universities, also rejected the national bursary proposal, saying a forced pooling of tuition fee income amounted to a tax. | The 1994 Group, which represents smaller research-intensive universities, also rejected the national bursary proposal, saying a forced pooling of tuition fee income amounted to a tax. |
Chair of the group Professor Steve Smith of Exeter said: "A national bursary scheme would be an extremely restrictive tool, stopping institutions from offering bursaries that are specific to identified access problems." | |
But the NUS said the report backed up what it had been saying for years. | But the NUS said the report backed up what it had been saying for years. |
NUS president Wes Streeting said: "The current system is complex and confusing. | NUS president Wes Streeting said: "The current system is complex and confusing. |
"We need a single national bursary scheme, so that financial support is based on what students need, not where they study." | "We need a single national bursary scheme, so that financial support is based on what students need, not where they study." |
The vice-chancellors' umbrella group, Universities UK, said the proposal raised issues which would need to be explored further. |
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