It would be tragic if people are put off going to university because of confusion over fees
By DAVID WILLETTS,
MINISTER FOR UNIVERSITIES AND SCIENCE
Our goal is to ensure people understand the key features of the new system
On Monday, we launch a major advertising campaign on student finance.
The last Government spent vast sums on marketing. We have – rightly – slashed such activity. But we will run campaigns when they really matter. And this is just such a time.
It is vital that families up and down the country understand the new system in place for those entering university from 2012. It would be tragic if people were put off higher education because they are confused about the changes.
As the exclusive extracts in tomorrow’s Mail on Sunday show, our adverts will be eye-catching, hard-hitting and informative. They have been designed by professionals for young people, their parents and teachers.
There will also be various radio commercials as well as a partnership arrangement with Channel 4 and E4. And the campaign will be focussed on the social media websites that young people use.
Our goal is to ensure people understand the key features of the new system. There will be no up-front tuition fees, more maintenance support – including higher grants – and a new £150 million National Scholarship Programme for students from poorer backgrounds.
Because university fees are going up, larger tuition fee loans will be available. But, crucially, most people will not have to pay a penny back until after they have graduated and are earning at least £21,000 – up from £15,000 now, meaning lower monthly repayments. A graduate on a salary of £25,000 currently repays £75 a month. In future, graduates on the same salary will repay £30 a month.
Some graduates do not undertake paid work, perhaps because of caring responsibilities, or accept low wages in return for work they find more fulfilling. They will not have to repay, and all outstanding debts will be written off after 30 years.
And, in one of the biggest changes of all, part-time students will no longer have to pay up-front fees. They will become entitled to loans on the same basis as full-time students, for the first time ever. These are the facts that the campaign must deliver in accessible ways.
The average graduate will earn £32,000 a year, against £18,000 for someone with lower qualifications
Such details are crucial and can change people’s hearts and minds. Some teachers have already run sessions for their pupils in which they take a show of hands. At the start, most students claim they are likely to be put off higher education as a result of the costs. By the end, once the new arrangements have been explained, most have changed their minds.
By beginning our advertising now, we can be sure to catch people at the right moment. Sixth formers think about their options at the end of year 12. University open days take place over the summer months, and the first UCAS deadline is in October of this year.
Some people say that it isn’t worth going to university. That is for individuals to decide. We certainly need to provide alternative career paths too. That is why we are providing 250,000 extra apprenticeships during this Parliament. But don't ignore the latest figures which show the average graduate earning £32,000 a year, against £18,000 for someone with lower qualifications.
I recognise that the reforms we are implementing have been controversial. No one enjoyed seeing angry students protesting in Parliament Square. But, given the state of the public finances, change is necessary. We could cut student numbers instead, but that would be unfair when so many people want to raise their skills.
Or we could adopt Ed Miliband’s graduate tax, but that would increase the deficit by £3 billion a year. It would not pay for itself until the 2040s.
In return for higher graduate repayments, students must get a better deal in the future. We will ensure better information about different courses at different universities – so that people know, for example, which courses employers rate.
We are also committed to ensuring a better experience whilst at university, with a new focus on high-quality teaching. And we will provide more choice by making it easier to access different types of learning, such as two-year degrees, part-time courses and distance learning. The Coalition’s goal is a university sector that has students at its heart and responds to their needs.
I hope others will work with us to show that all those aspiring to university, from whatever backgrounds, can be assured a fair deal. There are rumours that some teachers have told their students they can’t afford to go to university in the future. That could reflect a lack of knowledge or it could be motivated by crude politics.
Either way, there is no excuse for limiting ambitions in this way. So, as part of the campaign, we will work with teachers, head teachers and careers advisers to make sure they have the facts at their disposal.
Wes Streeting, the former President of the National Union of Students, recently wrote: ‘the Treasury was right to place a ban on expensive government advertising campaigns, but an urgent and high profile student finance information campaign should be made an exception.’
He’s right and that is exactly what we are now doing.
