Concern for future fair access to university despite strong record on student financial support
Release Date 29 September 2011
The University of Reading spent nearly one quarter of its additional tuition fee income on attracting and supporting lower income and other under-represented students in 2009/10, according to the latest report from the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). However, despite significant increases in financial support for 2012/13, the University is concerned that the recent Government White Paper on Higher Education risks undermining this support and many years of work to encourage students from under-represented backgrounds to enter higher education.
In 2009/10, the University of Reading provided financial support to 3,140 students, totalling nearly £3.5 million, in the form of access bursaries worth up to £1,385 for students with the lowest household income and providing a bursary for all students with a household income of up to nearly £40,000. In 2012/13, with the new tuition fee levels, the University has established an Access Fund rising to over £6 million to provide a suite of financial access packages and targeted outreach activity, which equates to re-distributing 31% of the tuition fee above the basic fee level set by Government of £6,000 (the sector average is 26%).
Professor Tony Downes, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: "We have a strong, historic commitment to access at Reading and in 2012/13, with increased tuition fees, the University will be doing everything it can to ensure fair access through our £6 million bursaries scheme and outreach work. However, we are concerned that despite this increased investment, the Government's proposals, if they were to become law, may well reduce rather than enhance social mobility.
"Freeing restrictions on the recruitment of students with A Level grades of AAB or above will disproportionately benefit households with higher average incomes, while the reduction in the number of core places available to universities charging £7,500 or more in order to maintain programme quality will mean university choice is unfairly constrained for students from low socio-economic groups. The AAB criteria will also undo the good work done by universities in supporting those talented students whose school results do not reflect their ability and remove a university's freedom to use its judgement on the potential of a student while favouring those whose schools have the strongest exam results."
In 2012, the University of Reading will contribute more than five-fold the minimum amount required to match the Government's new National Scholarship Programme to fund fee waivers up to £3,000 and cash bursaries up to £1,000 across all programmes, for those from low income households.
The University will continue with its important outreach activity in the form of activities such as summer schools, campus visits, master classes, mentoring and tutoring with specific schemes designed to promote modern languages and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. Through a new Aspire Reading scheme, the University will work in partnership with schools and colleges in the region to target the ‘most able but least likely' to consider higher education students from Year 10 onwards.
As with the current fees system, it is important to note that no UK or EU undergraduate student will be expected to pay tuition fees up front.
Further detail can be found at http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/study-ug-fees2012.aspx
ENDS
Further information from Alex Brannen on 0118 378 8005
Notes to editors:
¹Financial support for undergraduate students entering in 2012/13
Year 1 of programmes:-
- The National Scholarship Programme is a one-year benefit. Students resident in England and EU full-time undergraduates entering in 2012/13 are eligible for a fee waiver if their household income is not above £25,000 (students from Wales, N. Ireland, Scotland or beyond the EU are not eligible)
- For those students with household incomes under £16,000 there will be fee waivers of £3000 and a cash bursary of £1000. For £16,001 - £25,000 household incomes, there will be a fee waiver of £2000 and a cash bursary of £1000. The National Scholarship Programme is not available to any student with a household income above £25,000.
- Part-time students will be eligible for a pro rata fee waiver if their household income is not above £25,000 and they are studying at a minimum intensity of 25%.
- Cash bursaries (or the ‘maintenance' element of the National Scholarship Programme) are not available for part-time or EU undergraduates, only full-time undergraduates normally resident in England.
- In Year 1, for those whose household income is between £25,001 and £42,000, Reading Bursaries will provide a cash bursary of £500.
Years 2, 3 and 4 - Reading Bursaries
- Incomes up to £16,000 - Fee waiver £2000 / cash bursary £500
- Incomes £16,0001 - £25,000 - Fee waiver £1,500 and Cash bursary £500
- Incomes £25,001 - £42,000 - Cash bursary £500
There will also be travel bursaries for students from areas of low participation and with disabilities to help them pay costs of attending open days and interviews at Reading.
The University is aiming to build on much of the excellent work undertaken in recent years by Aimhigher Berkshire, which is being discontinued by Government, and for whom the University is the lead in Berkshire. We will be building on the work that has seen 46% of the 2875 students in the scheme apply and gain entry to a wide range of universities.
Students already enrolled at the University before October 2012 will not be affected by the changes.