The Browne Review
14 Oct 2010
Key recommendations and President's comments
Lord Browne of Madingley has today (Oct 12) published his Independent Review into Higher Education Funding and Student Finance in England.
A summary of the recommendations and the full Report can be seen here:
The key recommendations in the report are that:
- The current cap on fees of £3,290 per year should be removed entirely
- There should be a tapered levy imposed on institutions charging more than £6,000 per year to provide support to financially disadvantaged students.
- Graduates should be able to take out loans to cover their fees, and begin repaying once they are in work and earning at least £21,000p.a.
- A new Higher Education Council should be created which will replace the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), The Office for Fair Access (OFFA),the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA) and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).
Commenting on the Report, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said:
“It is too early to offer a detailed response. Lord Browne has offered a series of recommendations that will have to be considered by the Coalition Government and then agreed by Parliament.
“Lord Browne’s recommendations also need to be set in the context of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review due to report on Wednesday 20 October and what this will mean for other university income streams.
“The University’s reaction to Browne’s recommendations and the Government’s response will be governed by two fundamental principles:
- a high quality university education should be available to all students of proven ability and clear potential, irrespective of their ability to pay; and
- expenditure on universities is not simply a cost or a burden on the taxpayer, but an investment in the country’s future economic growth and prosperity.”