It is unlikely to be in the longer term interests of either students or universities and colleges to cut fees and/or increase bursaries late in the application cycle, says Sir Martin Harris, Director of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA).
Speaking today at the OFFA ‘Widening Participation in Higher Education: The Next Steps’ conference*, Sir Martin said:
“If some students are rewarded with increased bursaries and/or discounted fees by applying to higher education later in the process, then it would not only be the issue of equity between students which would be jeopardised, but institutions would also be undermining their carefully crafted access agreements with OFFA.
“Whilst, as Director of OFFA, I have no power to prevent this happening, it is of course my duty to safeguard and protect access for students on as fair a basis as possible, which is why I am raising this issue.
“The overall purpose of additional fees was to increase the resources available to institutions. Much of this will be invested in areas that underpin the quality of students’ experience. Last year I warmly welcomed the decisions made by institutions to set aside nearly one-third of these new resources to assist less well off students. It would certainly be disappointing if, during the pressures of Clearing, institutions were to give away more of the resources needed for other purposes.”
Sir Martin also urged universities and colleges to review their communications activities in light of evidence which suggests that potential students are less clear about institutional support such as bursaries, than they are about the level of fees and the nature of Government loans and grants.
“Evidence suggests that prospective students now understand the new fee system – but that’s only half the story. Other financial help will be available in the form of bursaries, and this message needs to continue to reach those who might still be making decisions on where, or indeed whether, to accept an offer of a place. This will be even more pressing during Clearing when time is so short. In such a climate, it is vital that institutions review the information held on their websites and elsewhere to ensure it is clear and accurate.”
Notes
*’Widening Participation in Higher Education: The Next Steps’ is a Neil Stewart Associates conference held in London and organised in association with OFFA and Action on Access. It is a one day conference exploring best practice and innovative new strategies for widening participation. Further information can be found on the Neil Stewart Associates website