Following coverage of funding cuts in the last issue for students on part-time courses and those taking second degrees, the government has announced concessions.

Bill Rammell, the Higher Education minister, has announced that £10m will be made available to part-time students. The money, redirected under the new proposals will allow about 10% of the original proposed finance cut to remain in place.

The original proposals aimed to direct funding away from students studying part-time and second degrees, but following consultation and objections by various bodies, including the Open University, who were expected to lose a significant amount of funding of about £30m, opposition to the plans have welcomed the government's “partial retreat”.

A government minister has unveiled minor changes to the system although Rammell stated "I strongly believe it is right that people who have never had the chance to go to university should be given priority over those who have already received tax payers' support to get a degree".

The Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary David Willets has stated that "It is good that the government is finally abandoning its aggressive defence of these cuts for second chance students. But there is still more to do."

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You can watch the Parlimentary committee debate on this issue here - http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=847&rel=ok

elle gray - Tue, 22 Jan 2008

 

 

I think that our post-graduate fees are unnecessarily high. How do the government expect to nurture their best talent by not funding their furthering education, forcing our institutions to charge extortionate fees. 
In other places in Europe, such as the Netherlands, you pay as little as £1000 for an equivalent award - and with such a high standard of living, and of course it being so close to Blighty, I think we should all go there!!

Sarah Blatchford - Tue, 22 Jan 2008