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Core facts

• Lord Browne of Madingley has today published his Independent Review into Higher Education Funding and Student Finance.

• His recommendations present a radical plan to shake up higher education in England and a charter for choice for students, who will be entrusted with far more power to shape their own future. Under a new system, to be called the Student Finance Plan, no student will pay anything until they graduate and are in work.
• After leaving university, graduates will only begin repaying when they reach annual earnings of over £21,000 a year, up from £15,000 under the current system. Even then, the payments will be small, for example at an income level of £25,000 a year the repayments will be £7 a week.

• The current cap on fees of £3,290 per year will be removed, allowing universities to put quality first and charge accordingly. A tapered levy on institutions charging more than £6,000 per year will ensure that those which charge the most contribute more to supporting the poorest students. In addition, universities that wish to charge more will be required to demonstrate to the regulator and to their students both improved standards of teaching and fair admission.

• Demand for higher education will continue to increase and we will fund more places so that everyone who has the potential to benefit from HE gets the opportunity to do so. A 10% increase in student places will be factored into the system over the next four years.

• Careers advice is in need of a radical overhaul. Part of empowering our young people is ensuring they have the right information, advice and guidance to make the correct choice. This means careers advice in all schools of the kind currently being given in the private sector.

• Those who wish to pursue part-time study should have equal entitlement to tuition support under the Student Finance Plan. Part-time study provides a second chance for people who missed out earlier in their lives and it is important to level the playing field between part-time and full-time study.

Press Enquiries:

CONTACT David Yelland, Wendel Verbeek, Joe Shipley or Ben Fry at Brunswick Group Contact 0207 404 5959 – or email BrowneReview@brunswickgroup.com

Relevant Links

Video of Bristol Public Hearing

Video of Leicester Public Hearing

They met students from Access to HE, Foundation Degree, BSc and HNC courses, as well as staff members teaching those courses. Students discussed their individual experiences of higher education and what Government could do to facilitate better access to these courses.

Lord Browne was also interested to hear how students’ employers were involved in their education. Lord Browne and Diane also visited the College’s new Paddington Green campus with the Principle Keith Cowell.

The Review also drew on analysis carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation and skills, which can be found on the following sites:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/research-analysis

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/research-analysis/research-reports

Leicester Introduction from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Prof Jonathan Haskel, Professor of Economics, Imperial College Business School,  Chris Humphries CBE, Chief Executive, UK Commission on Employment & Skills, David Docherty, Chief Executive, Council for Industry & Higher Education

Professor Jonathan Haskel, UKCES & CIHE from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive, Million +, with Gavan Conlon, Partner, London Economics, Prof Graham Henderson, Vice-Chancellor, Teesside University, Prof David Latchman, Master, Birkbeck

Million+, Teeside University & Birkbeck University from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General, Russell Group, Prof Alan Thorpe, Chair, RCUK Executive Group

Russell Group, Research Councils UK from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Prof Anna Vignoles, Professor of Economics of Education & Director, Centre for Economics of Education (CEE) – Institute of Education branch

Professor Anna Vignoles from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

David Sadler, HE Academy, Director, Anthony McClaran, Chief Executive, QAA, Professor Herb Marsh, Professor of Education, Oxford University

HE Academy, QAA & Professor Herb Marsh from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Prof Neil Shephard, Research Director, Oxford-Man Institute. Professor of Economics, Oxford University, Prof Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Economics, London School of Economics

Professor Neil Shephard & Professor Nicholas Barr from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Paul Wakeling, York University, Ginevra House, Independent researcher with British Library & HEPI, Dr. Debbie McVitty, NUS Research and Policy Officer, Postgraduates

Paul Wakeling, Ginevra House & NUS from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Professor Sir Martin Harris CBE, Director, OFFA, Chris Scrase, Programme Manager, OFFA

OFFA from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Dirk Van Damme, Head of Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) OECD

OECD from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive, HEFCE

HEFCE from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Prof Andrew Wathey, Director, University Alliance, Prof Paul Wellings, Chair, 1994 Group

University Alliance, 1994 Group from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Pat Bacon, President, AoC, Alice Hynes, Chief Executive, Guild HE

AoC, Guild HE from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Sally Hunt, General Secretary, UCU

UCU from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Aaron Porter, President Elect, NUS, Graeme Wise, Political Officer, NUS

NUS from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Prof Claire Callender, Professor of HE Policy, Birkbeck

Professor Claire Callender from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Alissa Goodman, Deputy Director, IFS, Prof Lorraine Dearden, Institute for Education, University of London & Programme Director, IFS

IFS from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Professor Steve Smith, President, UUK

UUK from bisgovuk on Vimeo.

Lord Browne Letter to Sunday Times (25KB)

The discussion focused on the students’ views of the evaluation criteria that the Review had set out in its call for Proposals document, and how best to manage the necessary trade-offs between the many desired outcomes of the HE funding system.

Issues discussed by the students included how to ensure that higher education was made more affordable for Government without affecting participation, and the complexity of the student finance system and how well students understand the terms of student loans. They also considered how they chose their university and course and what could be done to encourage wider participation in higher education.

Professor Julia King has also recently held a discussion forum with students. The photos below show her meeting students from Keele University to discuss some of the issues that the Review is dealing with.

• sets out the pressures and trends that may be relevant to the case for reform of the existing system;
• highlights what seem to be the key component features around which a reformed system may be constructed;
• provides some potential criteria against which proposals for reform may be evaluated;
• asks respondents to submit proposals for higher education system reform bearing in mind these factors, and the likely outcomes of reform regarding quality, participation and sustainability.

The Call for Proposals will be open until the 14th May, and all of those with an interest in higher education are encouraged to submit suggestions for recommendations that will ensure our universities and colleges are internationally competitive, financially sustainable, with fair access for all. Once the call for proposals closes the Review will hold further public hearings, details of which will be made available on this website.

Full press release: Browne review encourages ambitious proposals on the future of higher education

The students raised a number of issues including what motivated them to go to university, the quality of their tuition and their broader student experience, living costs and graduate employment prospects.

Some felt paying tuition fees made students more conscientious about getting what they wanted from higher education; others felt that, despite the additional income fees had brought universities, aspects of their experience – such as large class sizes – meant that students didn’t feel fully valued by institutions. Most though were very positive about having had the opportunity to go to university, and some discussed the importance of outreach to schools, to encourage others to consider higher education as an option for them.

The students presented Lord Browne with an open letter to the Review, which is published along with the other call for evidence submissions.

Photographs: Hafsah Saadiqah