ERIC Number: ED603564
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Oct
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
At What Cost? Students' Views on Augar, Funding and the Cost of Living. HEPI/YouthSight Monitor Wave 7. HEPI Policy Note 17
Hewitt, Rachel
Higher Education Policy Institute
In this new Policy Note, Rachel Hewitt, HEPI Director of Policy and Advocacy, reports on the results of a new poll of students on Augar, funding and the cost of living. Key points: (1) Students' views are mixed between the current tuition fee model and Augar's recommendation to lower fees: 40% prefer the current system of £9,250 paid back over 30 years; 41% prefer Augar's approach of £7,500 paid off over 40 years; and 18% have no preference between the two; (2) The majority of students (79%) say the level of interest charged is one of the most important aspects of the funding system, compared to only 11% who say it is unimportant and 10% who are unsure; (3) Students are supportive of Augar's recommendation to bring back maintenance grants, with 53% of students advocating for a mixed system of maintenance grants and loans and 32% saying they would prefer grants only. Only 16% support the current maintenance system in England, which is loan only; (4) Cost of living is a higher priority for students than tuition fees, with 59% saying it is their top funding concern. For 18% tuition fees are a more pressing issue, and 23% place them equally; (5) Over half (52%) of students' parents contribute to their living costs, while 46% of students' parents do not; (6) Of the students whose parents contribute towards their living costs, half (50%) receive more than £1,000 every year, 29% of students receive between £500 and £1,000 and 21% receive less than £500; (7) Many students see living away from home as critical to their university experience, with around half (49%) saying they would still choose to live away from home even if this came at a greater cost, compared to 38% who say they would choose to live at home to save money. 13% are undecided; and (8) Over half (57%) of students say living away from home was important to them when they applied to university, compared to 28% who said it was unimportant and 15% who are indifferent.
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Tuition, Student Financial Aid, Student Costs, Parent Financial Contribution, College Students, Foreign Countries, Credit (Finance), Student Loan Programs, Grants
Higher Education Policy Institute. 99 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX26JX, UK. Tel: +44-1865-284450; Fax: +44-1865-284449; e-mail: info@hepi.ac.uk; Web site: http://www.hepi.ac.uk
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom); YouthSight (United Kingdom)
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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