England’s higher education funding system has been reformed many times, leading to a system based on high fees and loans. Undergraduate tuition fees for full-time students were introduced in 1998 and rose to £3,000 a year in 2006, increasing further to £9,000 in 2021. Through a series of in-depth interviews,…
In a new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE), graduates in England explain their views on the student loan system, praising its income-contingent and repayment features but criticising the high fees and large debts. Hidden Voices: Graduates’ Perspectives on the Student…
This blog was contributed by Professor David Latchman, Vice-Chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London. After 18-months of enforced online learning, it is not surprising that most students were keen to return to onsite teaching and the unique opportunities that in-person university life presents. There are good reasons why the in-person model…
This blog was contributed for Sophie Cloutterbuck, Director of London Engagement, London Metropolitan University. As the majority of restrictions in the UK are now lifted, the push for a pre-pandemic, semi-normal festive break ensues. A period where we can see friends and family, shop on the high street, and gather…
Ashley Wheaton (@UCEM_Principal) is Principal of the University College of Estate Management. He has previously held senior roles as Director of Global Learning Services for Microsoft, and Chief Executive Officer of InfoBasis Ltd, a global talent management software company. The issue of regulatory burden is never far from the surface…
This blog was contributed by Chris Millward, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students. Next month I will make my final trip to meet staff and students as Director for Fair Access and Participation in England. These visits, punctuated of course by the pandemic, have crossed the…
This blog was contributed by Tim Blackman, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy and Vice-Chancellor at The Open University (@TimJBlackman). He writes in a personal capacity. The UK Government’s new Lifetime Loan Entitlement (LLE) for England will break new ground when it is introduced in 2025 to replace the current…
This blog was contributed by Louise Pigden (@elouisepigden), Deputy Dean in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Derby and Dr Garford Moore (@GarfordMoore), Policy and Insights Analyst at the University of Derby. Both would welcome dialogue around joint honours students, social mobility, and graduate outcomes. Leading…
This blog was contributed by Professor Susan Lea, University of Hull Vice Chancellor. COP26 aims to unite the world to tackle climate change. Surely nothing can be more important: ‘A code red for humanity’ is how UN Secretary General António Guterres described the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)…
This blog has been kindly contributed by Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer of London Higher and London Higher Chair (@dianajbeech) and Professor Amanda Broderick, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of East London (@ProfBroderick). With a membership of over 40 universities and higher education colleges, London Higher is the…