The Browne Review

Implications for PIs

Barry Clarke

Institute of Resilient Infrastructure

• The HE Sector

• The Browne Recommendations and Government Response

• Implications

Introduction

The HE Sector

The University Sector

Per capita GDP generated per £1 million spent (2007/08) (UUK, 2010)

Industry size comparisons: sectoral gross outputs (£ million), 2007/08 (UUK,2010)

The University Sector

No of students in each subject area (HESA, 2010) (total number of students = 2.4m)

No of students in built environment programmes (HESA 2010) (total number of students = 90k)

The University Sector

165 HEIs£25.4B income pa£6.5B HEFCE funding pa (incl £4.7B teaching funding)

The Browne Review

Browne Review - Headlines

Learning • Government pays students to choose where and what they want to study.

Living • Maintenance loan up to £3750; plus grant for poorer families

Earning and Paying • Pay fee back at 9% on any income over £21k

Participation • Improve career guidance; support for part time students

Quality • Baseline quality standards monitored

Sustainability • Greater contribution from individuals and industry

Browne Review - Headlines

Learning • Students choose where and what they want to study. Government pays costs of learning upfront.

Living • Support for living costs available to all through an annual loan of £3,750. No means testing for access to loans for living costs.

• Additional support for students from families with an income below £60,000 per year, up to £3,250 in grants

Earning and Paying

• Students pay nothing up front. Graduates only make payments when they are earning above £21,000 per year.

• Payments are affordable – 9% of any income above £21,000.

• If earnings drop or stop, then payments drop or stop

• The payment threshold is reviewed regularly to bring it into line with growth in earnings

• The interest rate on the loans is the low rate that Government itself pays on borrowing money.

• There is a rebate for low earners.

• Any balance remaining after 30 years is written off

Browne Review - Headlines

Participation • HE expands sustainably to meet qualified demand, with access for anyone who has the talent to succeed.

• A 10% increase in the number of places; and new support for the costs of learning for part time students.

• An increase in the support for living costs for students from low income backgrounds.

• The schools system to respond by improving guidance.

Quality • HEs actively compete for well informed, discerning students, on the basis of price and teaching quality, improving provision across the whole sector, within a framework that guarantees minimum standards.

• Higher Education Council enforces baseline standards of quality

• Students receive high quality information to help them choose the HEI and courses which best matches their aspirations.

Browne Review - Headlines

Sustainability • Increased private contributions and more targeted public investment to support high quality provision and allow the sector to grow to meet qualified demand.

• More sustainable footing by seeking higher contributions from those that can afford to make them, and removing the blanket subsidy for all courses – without losing vital public investment in priority courses.

• Public investment in clinical and priority courses such as medicine, science engineering

Browne Review - Beyond

CSR • Increase graduate contributions from 2012

• National Scholarship Scheme of £150m from 2014

• Ring fence investment in science and research

• HEIF to be reformed to increase investment

• .40% savings in HE funding

Political • Cap on fees (max £9000)• Prioritise STEM subjects• Fees over £6000 contribute to students fees from poorer backgrounds• Variable rates of payback

Financing the degree

choose a programme

maintenance fee

loan £3750

personal?

grant if poor £3250

debt

payback with interest

Govt pay up to £6k

Govt pay up to £9k

grant to poor students

< £21k no payback

> £21k pay 9% over £21k

payback over 30yrs

Implications

The university scenarios

Free for all • Charge up to £9k• Attract students because of status• Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning

experience that meets the needs of industry• Surplus contributions to support underfunded disciplines

Steady as we go • Charge up to £7k• Attract students because of locality and opportunity• Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning

experience that meets the needs of industry• Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning

experience that deliver enhanced learning outcomes

Fight for survival • Minimum charge• Attract students because of cost• Shortened period of study• Student experience more akin to learning by rote rather than by

practice• Programmes that meet the learning outcomes

Closure • Degrees closed down because of cost and lack of interest

Implications – The university

The fees • Setting fees that align with their market share

Programmes • Flexibility• ‘earn and learn’• Greater focus on quality of teaching• Greater focus on experience of learning• Better quality information on the programmes and careers

Places • Increase competition to attract declining number of students• Merger/closure of departments (are BE programmes financially

viable?)• Merger/closure universities

Implications – The student

The debt • Three year degree at £6k will leave a debt of £10k (of maintenance loan; up to £27k of fee payback; and £10k of further loans)

Payback • Most BE students will be paid above the threshold (£21k)• Payback 9% of income above the threshold• Threshold increases annually

Learning • ‘earn and learn’• Part time, flexible approach to learning• Seek employment led education and training

Implications – Industry

Funding • Universities seeking sponsorship to help students and attract students

• Students seeking sponsor ship to pay fees/maintenance

• Graduates expecting increase in salary (Browne is of view that industry will pay because of the benefit of employing a graduate)

Education • Industry will be expected to increase engagement with universities to ensure that the programmes meet their requirements and graduates attributes align with their needs

• Work place learning (e.g. placements)• Flexible approach to work and education

Implications – The PIs

Funding • Scholarship provision (e.g. QUEST)

Accreditation • Accreditation adds value• Publicly available information needs to be correct (a role for the

accrediting team)• Programmes meet funders wants but industry's needs• Accrediting teams have an inspiration role• Accrediting work place learning

Membership • Members benefits more explicit• Greater engagement with student population• Contribute to quality learning experience• Alternative routes to entry

Charitable status

• Are the opportunities sufficient to meet the demands of industry?• Are the objectives of the programmes aligned with the learning

outcomes at the appropriate level?

Conclusion

The Browne Review

• The Browne Review and the CSR are likely to result in a major shift in higher education

• Principle of student does not pay until they earn enough as a graduate• Increase in quality of education and learning experience• Greater alignment with industry‘s needs • Increased contribution from industry• Pis have a more important role in accrediting programmes • Pis will have to engage universities/students more proactively to demonstrate

benefits