15 August 2008
The introduction of variable tuition fees has not dented demand for university places, according to a report published on August 12.
Universities UK said it was now possible to see the effect the fees had in 2006/07, the first year they applied. Far from a downturn in student enrolments, the report found significant growth in both home and overseas applications, with the largest increase occurring among those living in England.
Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said: 'It's encouraging to see from this report that demand for higher education remains solid. Despite various changes to the system, there continues to be real growth in the number of applications and a pattern of stability in recruitment.'
She added that universities had set aside a significant proportion of their fee income to fund bursaries and other access schemes. Students benefited from almost £96m of non-repayable bursary funds in 2006/07, due to rise in the next two years as more students come under the fee regime.
But a second report, published on August 13 by the National Union of Students, revealed that many prospective undergraduates have a blasé attitude to their financial situation.
There was widespread ignorance about the alternative sources of funding available. 'Prospective students seem to have an over-optimistic attitude towards being able to obtain alternative sources of (particularly non-repayable) funding: significantly higher proportions anticipated receiving special support from university bursaries than actually do so,' the report stated.
Concerns about personal finance and debt tended to increase as students progressed through their studies. Intermediate and final-year students were significantly more likely to have higher-than-expected levels of debt than first-year students.
A survey by the student website Push.co.uk, also published on August 13, revealed that the level of student debt continues to increase. It now tops £4,500 for each year of study – an increase of 9.6% on last year.
Push's Johnny Rich said: 'Some students are facing real financial hardship… [but] with high-quality advice and information, students can keep their debts down while still enjoying the benefits of university.'
Commenting on the surveys, Warwick said: 'Fear of debt is a real issue that concerns universities… What prospective students need is accurate, timely, factual information about the cost of university and the financial support available.'
PFaug2008
