Universitystudentsfailedbyrip-offfees,sayswatchdogStudentstakingouthugeloanstopayforhighereducationarebeingfailedbyuniversitiesinEngland,withonlyoneinthreesayingtheyreceivevalueformoneyaccordingtoastingingnewreportbythegovernment’sspendingwatchdog.StudentstakingundergraduatedegreeprogrammesarerequiredtocompleteWork-IntegratedEducation(alsoknownasaworkintegratedlearningprogramme)aspartofthecurriculumrequirement.AmyasMorse,theheadoftheNationalAuditOffice(NAO),saidthatifuniversitieswerebankstheywouldbeinvestigatedformis-selling.Thesectorisalreadyfacingquestionsoverextravagantpayforvice-chancellors.TheNAOsaidtheDepartmentforEducation(DfE)needstodomoretohelp“vulnerable”studentsmakebetterchoicesaboutcourses.IthascalledontheDfEtoprovidemoreaggressiveoversighttoensurevalueformoney.Morsesaid:“Youngpeoplearetakingoutsubstantialloanstopayforcourseswithoutmucheffectivehelpandadvice,andtheinstitutionsconcernedareunderverylittlecompetitivepressuretoprovidebestvalue.Callforarchbishoptoheadinquiryintovice-chancellors&39;payReadmore“Ifthiswasaregulatedfinancialmarket,wewouldberaisingthequestionofmis-selling.The[DfE]istakingactiontoaddresssomeoftheseissues,butthereisalotthatremainstobedone.”TheNAOfoundthattheincreasednumbersofdisadvantagedstudentsnowattendinguniversitiesweremainlygoingtolower-rankedinstitutions–“whichriskscreatingatwo-tiersystem”,dividingthosefromrichandpoorbackgrounds.MegHillier,theLabourMPwhochairsparliament’spublicaccountscommittee,hasaccusedtheDfEoftakinga“hands-off”approachthathasleftstudentsflounderingwith£9,250annualtuitionfeesanddebtstotalling£50,000onaveragewsethk.“Thegovernmentisfailingtogiveinexperiencedyoungpeopletheadviceandprotectiontheyneedwhenmakingoneofthebiggestfinancialdecisionsoftheirlives,”shesaid.“Ithascreatedagenerationofstudentshitbymassivedebts,manyofwhomdoubttheirdegreeisworththemoneypaidforit.”Thereport’sconclusionswereechoedbyRobertHalfon,theConservativeMPwhochairsparliament’seducationcommittee,whosaidstudentsareincreasinglyquestioningtheirabilitytorepayloansandthevalueoftheirdegree.“Recenthigh-profileexamplesofstratosphericlevelsofpayandperksforsomeuniversityvice-chancellorsdolittletosuggestuniversitiesrecognisethestrugglesoftheirstudentsor,indeed,ofpoorlypaiduniversitystaff,”Halfonsaid.TheNAOreportwarnsthatuniversitiesaretooeagertospendtheirincomeonbuildingfacilitiestomatchtheirrivals.“Thereisariskthatincreasedcapitalspendrepresentsazero-sumgame,withlittleoverallbenefittoeducationalquality,”thereportstates.Universities“haveafinancialincentivetoprioritiseyoung,full-timestudents,whoaretypicallylesscostlytoteach”thanpart-timeormaturestudents,whosenumbershavefallensharplysincetuitionfeesroseto£9,000underDavidCameron’sConservative-ledgovernmentin2012.Inresponse,aDfEspokespersonsaidthegovernmentalreadyplannedtoconduct“amajorreviewoffunding”fortertiaryeducation.“Ourreforms,embodiedbytheHigherEducationandResearchAct,arehelpingstudentsmakemoreinformedchoicesaboutwhereandwhattostudy,ensuringtheygetgoodvalueformoney,”theDfEsaid.BathUniversityvice-chancellorquitsafteroutcryover£468kpayReadmoreAspokespersonfortheUniversitiesUKlobbygroupsaidstudentswererightlydemandinggreatervalueformoneyfollowingtheshifttopayingtuitionfeeshifu.“Universitieshaveincreasedinvestmentinteachingandlearningandstudentsarenowreportingrecordlevelsofsatisfactionwiththeircourses,”itsaid.ButAndrewAdonis,theLabourpeerwhohasrepeatedlycriticisedtheleveloftuitionfeesandstudentdebt,saidtheNAO’sfindingssupportedhisviews.“Thereishugediscontentattheleveloffeesandpoorvalueformoneyinuniversities.Itispartofthereasonwhythereissomuchangerabouttheastronomicpayofvice-chancellors,”Adonissaid.“Universitiesneedtorespondbycuttingtoppay,improvingteaching,cuttingfeesandofferingabetterservice.”SallyHunt,generalsecretaryoftheUniversitiesandCollegeUnion,saidtheproportionofstudentswhosaidtheyreceivedvalueformoneyhadfallenfromahalfin2012tojustathird.“Itisperhapsnotasurprisethatfewerstudentsthinktheircourseisvalueformoneynowtheyfacebiggerdebtsandkeepseeingstoriesinthepressabouthowtheirvice-chancellorsseemtobecreamingoffanyprofit,”Huntsaid.Inrecentweeksastringofvice-chancellorshavebeenattackedforhighpayandweakcorporateoversight,includingthepayandretirementpackageworthmorethan£800,000ofProfChristinaSlade,vice-chancellorofBathSpauniversity.DameGlynisBreakwell,vice-chancelloroftheUniversityofBath,recentlysaidshewouldresignaftercriticismoftheoversightofher£468,000ayearpayandperks,thehighestintheUK.BreakwellrespondedtohercriticsonThursday,sayingsheintendedtoremainonfullpayuntiltheendofFebruary2019,despitesteppingdownnextsummer.ProfShearerWest,thenewly-installedvice-chancelloroftheUniversityofNottingham,usedherinauguraladdressonThursdaytoappealforcalmovertherecentcontroversies.“Atthemomentit’snotpossibletoopenanewspaperwithoutfindingourselvesinthespotlightforallsortsofnegativereasons,”shesaid.“Theindividualcomplaints,whetherornottheyarejustified,accumulatetomakeitlookasifuniversitiesarefailingineverypossibleway.”
