University College Chester
1 Will you charge:
A Top-up fees across the board maximum (£3,000)
B A flat rate for all courses below £3,000. (If so, what is it)
C Different rates for different courses.(If so,please specify range - ie minimum/maximum)
2 If you are varying fees will they be:
A Lower for Sciences
B Lower for Arts/Humanities/social sciences
C Lower for foundation degrees
D Lower for vocationally-focused degrees
E A combination, please state (areas or specific courses)
N/A
3 Are you introducing bursaries?
A Yes, "there will be very generous scholarship schemes"
B No
4 How much for?
"A very significant sum, around £1000 per student. It will not be a flat rate."
5 If yes, will they be:
A Targeted at the most needy students
B Targeted at subjects which are short of students
C A mixture, please detail
"There will be three types of bursaries. 1. Academic excellence. 2. An addition to the £300 for people from poorer economic backgrounds with limited means. 3. To support initiatives in certain kinds of activities - sports/geographic scholarships."
6 If yes, are they funded
A From central university funds
B From a benefactor, private donations, etc?
C A mixture
"We have had endowments going back a couple of centuries."
7 Have you employed outside agencies to help you make the decision (market researchers/brand managers)?
A Yes. "We undertake market research on annual basis, but we make up our own minds of the basis of the evidence available."
B No
8 Where will you spend the extra income?
A Better student facilities
B Better academic facilities. "Enhance learning resources"
C Better academic pay. "Small element to boost staff salaries"
D Bursaries
E Bumping up research capacity
F Other, please state
9 Will top-up fees provide enough extra income for the university for the foreseeable future?
A Yes. "In the short-term it will provide additional income, but the big question mark is will it be sustained in the medium term? The critical thing is whether the government matches it with inflation."
B No
10 How long do you expect the limit on top-up fees to remain at £3,000?
A 1-3 years
B 4-6 years
C 7-10 years
D Over 10 years
11 Do you think top-up fees will put less well-off students off going to university?
A Yes
B No
"Any increase in fees or costs, according to the simple laws of economics will put students off applying. The counter argument, according to more modern variant economic thinking, is that they will be better off because they will have more cash in their hands at the point of studying.
"The most vulnerable group is not the working class, but the middle class. They might get caught up in the squeeze by not getting maintenance grants and having to find the full - high level - of tuition fees.
"For the upper middle classes, if you have been paying fees at public schools, it is a significant reduction to go to university."
12 How do you think Offa will affect your attempts to widen participation?
A Help. "It will ensure that there will be a fair application process across the sector."
B Hinder
C Have no effect
D Undecided, please state