Who should pay for HE?

Fees – the moral case oIf there were 100% participation HE (as with primary education) would we still have HE fees? -Different countries will answer that differently oPrivate investment in HE means public funding can go further, and consequently -widened participation -higher quality oWithout fees you reduce expenditure on health, primary education etc, in order to provide more privilege for the relatively privileged oThe issue is how to design fee contributions to maximise benefit and minimise potential damage – consider alongside eg student aid

Some interesting issues about fees oUniform or differentiated? oWhat considerations should affect the level of fees? -Part time students -Postgraduate students -Overseas students -FT Undergraduate students oWho should set them? oShould parents pay or students? oEffect on poor students oAre fees a balancing item? Do they simply substitute public funding? oSomeone has to look at fees, student support and institutional grant together

Without the availability of fees as a balancing line UK unit funding collapsed

The introduction of fees in England caused barely a ripple in the trend of HE enrolment

The month you were born has more effect on participation than the introduction of fees

September girls have more than 50% more chance of going to university than August boys

Different approaches – Europe vs rest of the world oIreland has done a volte face oScotland has tried to avoid fees by raising taxes, but has realised that is unsustainable oEngland has introduced fees, but that nearly brought down the government and will face difficulties increasing them in the future oMuch of the rest of Europe is struggling to introduce fees at all

But if we don’t we will suffer: % GDP spent on Higher Education Source OECD Education at a Glance 2004

But if we don’t we will suffer: % GDP spent on Higher Education Source OECD Education at a Glance 2004

Questions oDo fees create a market? Does it matter? (NB in most countries fees are barely differentiated) oHow to ensure that private money doesn’t substitute for public oIs there a case for fees on the grounds of widened opportunity and participation? oHow to mitigate the effect of the cost of HE on participation by poor students oShould we try and take decisions about the level of fees out of the political arena? oWhat different approaches should we adopt to the funding of different students? oHow to stop people giving birth in August?

Summary of Key Points – Day 2 oThe principle of fees isn’t really an issue in any of our countries oThe case for fees is largely pragmatic (it brings in cash), but there is a moral dimension too oFees need to be regarded in the context of a 3-legged stool -Alongside institutional support and student aid -Whatever arrangements are introduced, it is imperative to ensure they don’t prejudice – indeed they must encourage – widened participation oIntroduction and levels of student fees must be regarded in context of ensuring adequacy of our universities to meet national aspirations, and international competition oBologna – what is important isn't the details. It is that so many countries think reform of their HE systems is important to their futures. Whether right or wrong it may be developing a market brand