UUK has today (14 February 2007) published a new report ‘Variable tuition fees in England: assessing the impact on students and higher education institutions.’
This publication is the first in a series of yearly reports which will examine the effects of the new variable fees arrangements for UK and EU domiciled full-time undergraduates attending higher education institutions (HEIs) in England.
Commenting on the report, Sir Martin Harris, Director of OFFA, said:
‘We welcome this report which provides a useful early overview of the sector under the new fee and support arrangements introduced in 2006. It’s too early to have a full understanding of how the year has gone and we can only know the full impact over a number of years once we have trend data. However, the early data does indicate that students from lower income backgrounds have not been put off applying to higher education.
‘Looking to the future, it will be important that institutions continue to ensure that prospective students are clear about the significant non-repayable bursaries and other financial support that might be available to them on top of the grants and loans from the Government.’