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Students: Finance

Answer

Increasing transparency and providing more information to students is central to our higher education reforms. We expect universities to provide useful information to their students and be transparent about additional course costs.The new UK Quality Code for Higher Education, developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in consultation with the higher education sector, sets out an expectation that higher education institutions offer valid, reliable, useful and accessible information about their provision. The Code comes into operation from this academic year (2012/13) when the QAA review will also include a judgment on the quality of the information higher education institutions provide.More widely, through the publication of the Key Information Set, which will be available from September 2012, we are encouraging universities to publish information in those areas that research has shown that students find most useful. This will include the costs of tuition fees, bursaries and the costs of accommodation. Accommodation costs will cover both provision owned/sponsored by institutions and accommodation managed by private landlords and agents.We are also encouraging universities to produce student charters to set out what the university will provide, and what is expected of students in return. Charters link to more detailed information (e.g. handbooks) for each course. The 'suggested list of items' for charters includes "essential course costs and estimate of additional costs". It is expected that charters are jointly developed and agreed with local students' unions, to ensure that priority areas are covered.We are also putting in place a more progressive living costs package for first time undergraduates in 2012/13, with an increased grant for living costs worth £3,250 for all students from households with an income up to £25,000 and increased loans for living costs of up to £5,500 (or up to £7,675 for students living away from home and studying in London). In fact, most students will receive a more generous living cost package under the new regime than under the current system.For many of the most disadvantaged students they will have access to the new National Scholarship Programme (NSP). In the NSP, universities have a menu of options through which they can deliver a benefit of at least £3,000 (with pro-rata awards for part-time students). The NSP menu includes help with accommodation costs or other institutional services as well as a cash bursary up to £1,000. Institutions will decide which options they make available and the target group to receive them.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

105334; 543 c953-4W

Session

2010-12

Subjects

Finance Students

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk