Funding for Postgraduate Teaching

Peter Seddon3 July 2014

Context

FT Taught Masters numbers by domicile (HESA - heads)

2005-06 2012-13 Difference

Home 26,420 30,320 3,900

EU 11,550 14,675 3,120

International 38,990 69,680 30,690

Total 76,960 114,675 37,715

Proportion 2005-06 2012-13 Difference

Home 34% 26% -7.9 percentage points

EU 15% 13% -2.2 percentage points

International 51% 61% +10.1 percentage points

PG numbers overall (HESES)

PGT: the arguments

1 – Taught postgraduate education is important to universities, but also to:• students; employers; the economy and society

2 – There are distortions in the market that may not be the public interest:• student characteristics

• socio-economic background; home vs overseas• university incentives

• pgt relative to ug, integrated masters and pgr• employer investment

• specialist and conversion masters

3 – This could be compounded by the impact of higher debt at undergraduate level for graduates from 2015

4 - There are interventions government could make to address this, e.g. by risk sharing with:• students; banks; employers; universities

Certain17%

Likely27%

Not sure25%

Unlikely22%

Definitely not9%

IAGS 2013: how likely are you to progress to pg study?

What factors put you off studying at postgraduate level?

%

21

62

13

33

25

7

2

3

1

18

44

16

16

'

Not applicable

Lack of flexibility in delivery method

Lack of flexibility in timetable

Lack of comparable information

Family and personal commitments

PG study is time consuming

PG qualifications are not a requirement

Not knowing what to study

Being in a job

I do not want to study at PG level

Fear of debt

Overall cost of living

Course fees

IAGS 2013: what factors put you off studying at PG level? (students who were neither ‘certain’ nor ‘likely’

Programme of work:

• Analysis of data

• Commissioning additional research

• Piloting innovative approaches to supporting PGT

• Public information needs

• Engaging with Government on the longer term case

So what is HEFCE doing?

Postgraduate Support Scheme (1)

•Pilot activities to stimulate taught postgraduate education•Panel chaired by Professor Chris Brink selected 20 proposals for £25m funding, involving 40 universities and 1,700 students •Projects cover a range of subjects, types of institution and sectors of the economy•Activities include:

• studentships, bursaries and loans• measures to raise aspiration among current undergraduates and

people in work• curricula changes responding to student and employer imperatives• co-funding with employers

Postgraduate Support Scheme (2)

Finance exampleCranfield University• This pilot study partners with

Prodigy Finance Ltd to pilot an affordable and sustainable loan scheme to PGT UK and EU students in STEM subjects.

• 150 students supported; £2,000,000 PSS funding received

Curriculum changeUniversity of Bath• Developing an innovative 15-month

Enhanced MSc in Modern Building Design co-developed and co-delivered with employers, including 6-month work placement. Tuition fees paid plus £6,000 bursaries for most disadvantaged.

• 30 students supported; £537,500 PSS funding received

We have asked institutions to improve their information and:

• Provide consistent, accurate and up-to-date course-specific content

• Provide detail about workload over the year

• Make information about finance and funding easy to find

• Increase information on career outcomes

PGT information needs

What do prospective students need?

A website containing a PGT decision making tool will be launched in Spring 2015. We will ask all institutions to link to it.

Context‘The changing nature of the labour market is demanding higher skilled workers. Thereare however potential barriers in the postgraduate system that may be restricting the supplyof these higher skills. To ensure the UK can compete successfully in the global economy,the government will investigate options to support increasing participation inpostgraduate studies and will put forward its ideas at Autumn Statement 2014.’

A successful and sustainable postgraduate education sector:

• for students and universities, the economy and society

In the short-term:

• better rationale for public funding

• progress on student finance

• sector-wide evidence for university practice and further research

In the medium-term:

• postgraduates more central to the next round of HE policy

Our goals

Thank you for listening

p.seddon@hefce.ac.uk