Learning from the postgraduate support programme, Paul Walking, University of york
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Learning from HEFCE’s Postgraduate Support Scheme: Student funding and postgraduate enrolment decisions Universities UK event: Your student financial support model and its contribution to access, retention and success Woburn House, London 11 March 2015 Paul Wakeling Department of Education University of York [email protected] Twitter: @pbjwakeling
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Transcript of Learning from the postgraduate support programme, Paul Walking, University of york
Learning from HEFCE’sPostgraduate Support Scheme:
Student funding and postgraduate enrolment decisions
Universities UK event: Your student financial support model and its contribution to access, retention and success
Woburn House, London
11 March 2015
Paul Wakeling
Department of Education
University of York
Twitter: @pbjwakeling
Outline
• UK Postgraduate funding landscape
• Existing research evidence
• HEFCE’s Postgraduate Support Scheme
• Future developments
Background
Growth in:
• PG(T) numbers– especially international
• Programme diversity
Stability in:
• PG(RH) numbers
• Funding ‘model’ (across home nations)
PG complexity
• Discipline, student/programme intentions, industry
PG student funding
• Unlike UG, no ‘system’
– Some fully funded (e.g. PGCE)
– Employer funding
– Discipline differences (e.g. PhD)
– PCDLs
• Self-funding common
– ~75% home FT PGT self-funding
– 38% of home PGR
Policy attention
PG tuition fees
• HEFCE/KPMG research on PG cost
– Excluding medicine/business = 33% higher than UG
• Fee levels vs. UG
• Little research on impact of debt/fee levels on PG take-up (in UK or elsewhere)
Evidence from elsewhere
• UG debt vs. credit?
– Harrison and others
• Wales on fee levels
• IAG survey and Futuretrack
• Results from the US are contradictory
The PSS portfolio
• 20 projects supported– at least one in each English region
– 9 in London
• Varying sizes (consortia, some small single institution projects); £3M max
• 6 Russell Group; 5 post-1992; 4 small/specialist
• ~2,000 studentships/awards
Emerging issues/trends
• Academic/funding models for employer engagement
– Placements/apprenticeships
• Eligibility issues (EU, ELQ etc)
• Conceiving, defining and measuring WP and ‘need’ at PGT level
– (in)dependence?
Funding
• No clear correlation size:attractiveness
• Targeted vs general awards
– ≈ STEM vs others?
Complexity, simplicity, visibility
• Seeming to contradict myself…simplicity!
– Programme type (the masters ‘brand’)
– Straightforward scholarships
• Visibility of PGT within HEIs
– Policy/systems underdeveloped; not ‘normal’
• Application systems; website presence
PSS 2015/16 scheme (England)
• Restricted eligibility
• Uncertainties?
– Match-funding (glass half empty…literally)
– Demand (glass half full)
• Widening participation focus – not there in the 2016/17 scheme
Setting eligibility criteria
• What’s right for the institution?– Control: no of awards
– Demographic
– 2 tier (e.g. care leaver)
– Legal framework
• Use PSS experience to guide design– Short cuts
– Dead ends
– HEFCE emphasises evidence
2016/17 and beyond
• Loan scheme consultation– Under 30s
– Repayment terms
– Eligibility details (e.g. EU, home nation etc)
• Alternatives?– Scope for scholarships?
– Credit unions – Durham, Northumbria
• Displacement; fee inflation
Conclusions
• Still early days for determining what works
– Further analysis of PSS 2014/15 to come
• Lessons to date:
– Keep it simple
– Widening participation hearts and minds
– Visibility and processes
• PGT financial uncertainties
