UK Higher Education in the News this Week: 14th June 2024

Daily Telegraph: 14th June 2024

Taxpayers ‘ripped off’ as millions of student loans may never be paid back

This article highlights the following:

Unpayable Loans: Many graduates are expected to never fully repay their loans, with some owing over £100,000 and a few over £200,000.

This situation highlights concerns about the sustainability of the student loan system and its impact on both graduates and taxpayers.

Rising Student Debt: Over 2.5 million graduates saw their student loan balances increase last year despite making payments, due to high interest rates

Interest Rates: The interest rate on student loans varied between 5% and 7.7% last year, causing significant increases in loan balances.

Financial Times: 13th June 2024

More UK students struggle to balance paid work and studies (ft.com)

Looking at the Advance HE/HEPI 2024 Student Survey report the article highlights:

Rising Student Workload: A significant increase in UK university students are balancing paid work with their studies, with the poorest students most affected by living costs.

Maintenance Loan Concerns: The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) highlights a “step change” since 2023, with 56% of students working during term time due to inadequate maintenance loans.

Impact on Education: The pressure to work longer hours is adversely affecting students’ studies and risks creating a “two-tier” education system.

Government Intervention: Hepi suggests government intervention is needed to prevent full-time study from becoming infeasible for some students, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

The Guardian: 13th June 2024

‘I once missed four weeks of one module’: the UK students working long hours

Also looking at the outcomes of the Advance HE and HEPI student survey the article focuses on the specific experiences of students who are missing their courses due to the need to work to support themselves:

Student Workload: Megan Allen, a sociology student at Leeds Beckett University, worked full-time in a bar during December, which impacted her coursework and health

Balancing Studies and Work: Brendan Cormac, a chemistry student at the University of York, struggled to manage his studies while working 16 hours a week in a bus ticket office

Sleep and Health: Engji Salihu, studying psychology at the University of East Anglia, experienced disruptions to her sleep schedule due to late-night shifts with the university’s alcohol impact crew

Academic Performance: A law student at Sussex University, identified only as Lewis, worked up to 33 hours a week as a bartender, which he felt hindered his academic potential.

Times Higher Education: 13th June 2024

UK election 2024: key higher education policies at a glance

Labour’s Stance: Labour’s manifesto lacks detail on tuition fees but indicates a shift in tone from the government’s narrative, focusing on supporting university aspirations and the wider skills agenda.

Conservative Proposals: The Conservatives suggest closing low-quality courses to fund apprenticeships and have not proposed further restrictions on international student numbers.

Other Party Plans: The Liberal Democrats plan a review of higher education finance, the Greens propose scrapping tuition fees and investing in research, while the Reform party aims to cut the numbers going into HE.

BBC News: 11th June 2024

Share of state school pupils going to Oxford University falls

State School Admissions: The proportion of UK state-educated pupils accepted by Oxford University dropped to 67.6% in 2023, yet remains above pre-pandemic levels.

BME Student Increase: There has been an increase in UK-domiciled Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students since 2019, reaching 28.8% in 2023.

University Commitment: Oxford University emphasizes its commitment to diversity and attracting students with high academic potential from various backgrounds

Equity Concerns: Critics, like Julie McCulloch from ASCL, find the figures disappointing and not reflective of wider society, where about 93 percent of pupils attend state schools.