In response to the announcement on the treatment of student loans in the national accounts by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: ‘The 180-degree flip by the Office for National Statistics may seem embarrassing for policymakers but it is more…
We started 2018 by publishing HEPI’s most substantial ever piece of work. Back in January 2018, we published a report by London Economics, commissioned jointly by HEPI and Kaplan International Pathways, which showed the contribution of international students to the UK. The report built upon our previous work on soft…
When, next week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) rule on the way student loans appear in the national accounts, many people will perform a rue smile. The Government will be embarrassed because getting student loans off the books was arguably the primary cause of the high fees we have.…
The vast majority of students in the UK experience higher education on a residential basis: they move away from home to study. But, for a significant minority of students, higher education is experienced differently. Around one-quarter of students live at home and commute to study, and in some parts of…
The Government and higher education institutions should do more to support students who live away from campus – often in the parental home – and who commute long distances to study, according to a new report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). Homeward Bound: Defining, understanding and aiding ‘commuter…
This guest blog has been kindly written for HEPI by Mary Curnock Cook. Follow Mary on Twitter – @MaryCurnockCook. There’s much for higher education watchers to take note of in Damian Hinds’ speech on 6 December. It starts to map out a more coherent view of technical education pathways to support…
Responding to the news that Chris Skidmore is to the new Minister for Universities, Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), said: This is an interesting appointment. No one predicted it, but it’s not a radical departure. Chris’s impressive bibliography as an author of Tudor history, his…
Imagine the following scenario. First, a Prime Minister lacking a clear parliamentary majority feels obliged by electoral forces to bring a particular policy to Parliament for MPs to vote on. This policy is a notable u-turn from her previous position. The new policy is also an uneasy compromise. It does…
The 17th day of December is a fairly momentous day in history. According to a website called infoplease, France first recognised America then, the first heavier-than-air plane was flown by the Wright brothers and NAFTA was signed. A different website records it as the day of the first ever heart, lung…
On Thursday evening, Sam Gyimah gave an entertaining speech at the Times Higher awards. It showed a shrewd grasp of the main issues facing the sector. He also told us he was due to leave for Brussels at 5am the next day for meetings. Perhaps it was the prospect of…