Student Loans 2012

melancholly

just lost a post by somehow pressing the back button.... grrr

the short part is that people here might find http://www.writetothem.com/ and http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ useful/interesting. they also have stats on how often MPs respond within a reasonable time http://www.writetothem.com/stats/2008/zeitgeist.

i'm honestly not surprised (although a little disappointed) that a tory MP didn't really respond to the question and just reiterated the party line. i've only written to my MP a few times (although that's two MPs now), but only ever got 'good' replies when they were opposition MPs against a government policy! i bet Willetts' office has been inundated with letters (i hope so anyway!) so a generic reply isn't too much of a surprise. either way, even if i knew they wouldn't agree with me, i felt strongly enough that i wanted to register my opinion on it with them. at least it felt more productive than just being annoyed and doing nothing!

kayr_2

melancholly wrote: »

i'm honestly not surprised (although a little disappointed) that a tory MP didn't really respond to the question and just reiterated the party line.

My MP, whom I didn't vote for, is Conservative but she did actually deal with my questions properly. However, during her first year as MP she has been a bit rebellious and calls herself a "critical friend" of the government.

I think it is worth telling politicians what we think even if they give rubbish responses because if enough people express an opinion, they will consider changing policy as they all have their eye on the next election. Years ago I was told that an MP would consider changing the way they voted on an issue if they received 50 letters, a number which would represent a significant body of opinion in the constituency since most people can't be bothered to contact their MP, but might vote against them in the following election if the MP has unpopular views.

setmefree2

White Paper may lift caps at low-priced and elite institutions

The forthcoming White Paper on the future of higher education is likely to contain radical plans to remove the student numbers cap for universities recruiting the highest achievers, as the government aims to ensure that the top-performing students enter elite universities.The paper, currently under consideration at 10 Downing Street and due out in the next few weeks, is expected to focus on three key policies: removing recruitment caps at universities with A-level entry standards of AAB or above; removing the cap for institutions charging cheaper tuition fees below a fixed level; and a "core and margin" system, where a proportion of total student places is opened to competitive bidding from institutions.

In discussions with the sector, officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have cited the department's research on student distribution in the US, which found that "the top 5 per cent of high-school students enter the top 5 per cent of universities".
The government believes that this is not the case in the UK, a situation it aims to remedy by removing the recruitment cap for students with the highest A-level grades.
Times Higher Education understands that under the plans, the government will assess what proportion of a university's student body scored AAB or above at A level and remove those student places from the institution's standard allocation. If the university fails to recruit sufficient students above AAB, it would not be able to make up the numbers at lower grades.
This raises the prospect of fierce competition for students among elite universities.
But the standard allocation of student places for the bulk of institutions would be likely to be reduced to compensate for the lack of restrictions elsewhere.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=416512&c=1

setmefree2

David Willetts in secret talks with banks on funding of student loans

Government may encourage applicants to seek banks' help to pay for university places

Students will be encouraged to borrow from high-street banks to cover their tuition fees, under proposals considered by the government as a way out of the funding crisis facing higher education.
With more universities than expected charging the maximum of £9,000 a year for tuition, universities minister David Willetts is seeking a way to reduce the liabilities of the government-backed Student Loans Company by turning to the UK's major banks to provide loans at preferable rates.
Universities UK, which represents universities, has been consulted. Its president, Sir Steve Smith, who is vice-chancellor of Exeter University, said the proposal to allow banks to exploit the student market carried huge risks and could create a two-tier education system.
He said the Department for Business Innovation and Skills had proposed that students taking private loans would be counted outside the allotment of places each university is given by the government, making them attractive to colleges aiming to increase their cash flow.
Smith said the consequent risk of a two-tier higher education system had "nasty" implications. "They [the government] have talked to us about that, but the trouble is that it has the obvious objection that it looks awfully like those people buying their way in."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/25/banks-university-funding-private-loans

setmefree2

Top students expansion plan 'could hit social mobility'

Universities will be competing for funding for places - as it is expected that they will have a reduced number of guaranteed "core" places and will have to bid for the remainder.
Universities will also be able to expand by allowing them to recruit more students with at least two grade As and a B at A-level. About 50,000 pupils achieve these grades every year.

Then overall numbers of students from England below the AAB borderline would be reduced.
It is designed to introduce some competition between higher ranking universities as they compete for the highest achievers.
But in recent years universities have been urged to make offers of places based on an assessment of a student's potential - not just their raw grades.
This is known as using contextual data and can mean admissions tutors make lower offers for students from state schools than for those from independent schools.
Ms Tatlow, head of the Million+ group of new universities, said of the plan to allow universities to take more AAB students: "If the government goes down this path it may well compromise universities' abilities to use contextual data in admissions.
"This would greatly undermine their hopes for improved social mobility."

A shake-up of universities, expected to be published next week, will set out how the government wants to change higher education.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13909004

setmefree2

A planned shake-up of higher education in England is being set out later

That's Today!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13927710

setmefree2

The white paper is also expected to free up recruitment of the 50,000 students a year who achieve grades AAB or higher at A-level. Today, universities have a fixed number of government-funded places for home undergraduates each autumn, and are fined if they over-recruit.
Expansion by grades would reward selective schools. Nearly a third of students achieving AAB or above are at private schools – about 16,000 – and 20% of those achieving the top grade at state sixth forms are in grammar schools.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/28/naming-shaming-degrees-poor-jobs-record


So the Tories are looking after their own - now there's a surprise....

BUT

Universities told to set tougher low-income student intake targets

Office for Fair Access insists that universities must widen access in exchange for being allowed to charge higher tuition fees

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/27/universities-low-income-students-targets

So it's going to be a bit tough if you are the squeezed middle...

surfsister

setmefree2 wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/28/naming-shaming-degrees-poor-jobs-record


So the Tories are looking after their own - now there's a surprise....

BUT



http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/27/universities-low-income-students-targets

So it's going to be a bit tough if you are the squeezed middle...

would assume most MC hopping off to Holland and other EEC countries who charge only £1.5k a year, teach in English and have good courses too!!

English unis will be just for the elite and the have-nots, anyone who helps themselves will go abroad surely a no brainer!

melancholly

only a few hours to wait now for the white paper! i'm almost excited to hear all the details (i imagine that won't last!)

setmefree2

Well we seem to have early payments being allowed:-

Half way down

There are also proposals to allow students to make an early repayment on their loans - a politically sensitive suggestion which raises the prospect of better-off students not paying as much as those who pay back their loans over several decades.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13927710