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Open University sets £5,000 tuition fees | Open University sets £5,000 tuition fees |
(about 3 hours later) | |
By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent | By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent |
The Open University has announced tuition fees of £5,000 per year for the equivalent of a full-time place for students in England from next year. | The Open University has announced tuition fees of £5,000 per year for the equivalent of a full-time place for students in England from next year. |
This will mean that the Open University, which provides degree courses by distance learning, will have among the lowest fees in England. | This will mean that the Open University, which provides degree courses by distance learning, will have among the lowest fees in England. |
Vice chancellor Martin Bean promised "high-quality, flexible and great value-for-money education for all". | Vice chancellor Martin Bean promised "high-quality, flexible and great value-for-money education for all". |
The majority of universities will charge £9,000 for some or all courses. | The majority of universities will charge £9,000 for some or all courses. |
More than two-thirds of the Open University's students are studying part-time - and the university will be expecting to benefit from the introduction of loans for part-time students. | More than two-thirds of the Open University's students are studying part-time - and the university will be expecting to benefit from the introduction of loans for part-time students. |
For a typical part-time Open University student, studying at the level of half of full-time, the fees will be £2,500 per year. | For a typical part-time Open University student, studying at the level of half of full-time, the fees will be £2,500 per year. |
Mr Bean said that the extension of the loan system represented the "beginning of a new era for part-time students". | Mr Bean said that the extension of the loan system represented the "beginning of a new era for part-time students". |
Younger students | Younger students |
At present the university has 264,000 students taking more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate courses and professional qualifications - which it says makes it the largest single higher education institution operating in the UK. | At present the university has 264,000 students taking more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate courses and professional qualifications - which it says makes it the largest single higher education institution operating in the UK. |
The university has reported a surge in younger students taking its degrees - increasing by a third last year. | The university has reported a surge in younger students taking its degrees - increasing by a third last year. |
Pitching its fee below many other universities will be seen as adding to its competitive appeal for undergraduates in England facing a big increase in fees from 2012. | Pitching its fee below many other universities will be seen as adding to its competitive appeal for undergraduates in England facing a big increase in fees from 2012. |
Although the Open University's fees will be among the cheapest - this still represents a substantial increase. The current full-time equivalent for an Open University course is in the region of £1,800 per year. | Although the Open University's fees will be among the cheapest - this still represents a substantial increase. The current full-time equivalent for an Open University course is in the region of £1,800 per year. |
Mr Bean said the fees had been set at the lowest affordable level. | Mr Bean said the fees had been set at the lowest affordable level. |
The government's White Paper on higher education, published earlier this month, promised a greater emphasis on competition from providers outside mainstream publicly-funded, full-time, campus-based universities. | The government's White Paper on higher education, published earlier this month, promised a greater emphasis on competition from providers outside mainstream publicly-funded, full-time, campus-based universities. |
Among these has been a private college with its own degree-awarding powers, the ifs School of Finance, which announced fees of £5,750 to £6,000 per year, undercutting many rival institutions. | |
But a large majority of universities have set their fees in the region of £8,000 to £9,000. | |
International reach | International reach |
The Open University, created in 1969, was first known for its television broadcasts but has become a pioneer of using online technology. | |
It claims the world record for the highest number of downloads from any university on the iTunes U service - currently in the region of 36 million. This service provides a free distribution of university lectures and course material. | It claims the world record for the highest number of downloads from any university on the iTunes U service - currently in the region of 36 million. This service provides a free distribution of university lectures and course material. |
The university has also developed services overseas, operating in more than 20 countries. This includes funding from the United States to support a project to cut drop-out rates from higher education, in a pilot scheme with 10 US colleges. | The university has also developed services overseas, operating in more than 20 countries. This includes funding from the United States to support a project to cut drop-out rates from higher education, in a pilot scheme with 10 US colleges. |
The proposals for greater competition are also expected to bring more overseas providers into England's higher education market, including those offering online degrees. | The proposals for greater competition are also expected to bring more overseas providers into England's higher education market, including those offering online degrees. |
"We're clearly going to see a lot more diversity in the landscape," said Mr Bean. | "We're clearly going to see a lot more diversity in the landscape," said Mr Bean. |
As such he says it will be more important than ever that students' choices about courses are based on "quality rather than price". | As such he says it will be more important than ever that students' choices about courses are based on "quality rather than price". |
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation said: "Our reforms extend tuition loan support to part-time students for the first time because we want a more diverse higher education sector that is open to all those with the ability and desire to study at a higher level." | |
The fee level of £5,000 per year applies to students from England. The Open University says that it expects students in Scotland to pay a similar amount to the current fees of £1,400 per year. | The fee level of £5,000 per year applies to students from England. The Open University says that it expects students in Scotland to pay a similar amount to the current fees of £1,400 per year. |
The university says that in Wales, the cost is "likely to be lower than in England as a result of additional support from the Welsh Government". | The university says that in Wales, the cost is "likely to be lower than in England as a result of additional support from the Welsh Government". |
There has yet to be a decision on future fees for Northern Ireland. | There has yet to be a decision on future fees for Northern Ireland. |