Qualifi Awarding Organisation awaits with interest the outcome of the next stage of the Education Committee inquiry into value for money in higher education. With just 35% of respondents believing their HE experience represented “good” or “very good” value for money and the number of students saying their university was “poor” or “very poor” value having almost doubled in five years; 2018 as predicted is set to be a challenging and turbulent time for the HE sector. Wednesday the 21st of September will see the next stage of the inquiry inviting comment from representatives of the sector.
This in addition with yesterday’s announcement (16/09/2018) that Ms May will release details of a tuition fee overhaul on Monday (19/02/18); options being considered include cutting fees to £6,000 and changing interest rate – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/feb/16/theresa-may-details-tuition-fee-overhaul. Furthermore, in another announcement this week, MPs are to review whether students applying to universities are being offered unconditional places in order to secure their fees. The number of unconditional offers made by universities rose more than 17-fold in five years. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43069632
Qualifi Awarding Organisation would like to draw the attention to colleagues across the FE and HE sector that there are alternatives to the three years i.e. traditional degree programme. Qualifi provides Advanced Learner Loan approved regulated HE qualifications at levels 4 to 8 inclusive, with a final year, UK University honours degree and masters degree top-up options. There are value for money options available to learners, delivery providers, the taxpayer and government. Please visit the Qualifi website for further information – https://qualifi.net/university-pathways/
Ray Brogden (COO – Qualifi)
The Education Committee launches an inquiry into value for money in higher education. The inquiry examines the use of graduate outcomes data, social justice and progression of disadvantaged students in higher education, and the quality of teaching across institutions.
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news-parliament-2017/value-for-money-higher-education-launch-17-19/
Next meeting(s) – 21 February 2018
Inquiry background
A recent survey showed that only a third of students believe their course offers them value for money. The results of the annual Higher Education Policy Unit and the Higher Education Academy student experience study in 2017 showed that just 35% of respondents believed their HE experience represented “good” or “very good” value for money. The number of students saying their university was “poor” or “very poor” value has almost doubled in five years. The Committee is also interested in the variations in quality of teaching in higher education institutions and the effectiveness of the Teaching Excellence Framework in recognising this. The Committee looks forward to hearing from the new Chief Executive of the Office for Students and examining their role in ensuring that students receive value for money from their education.