Future funding crucial to widening participation says university think tank
Speaking at a Higher Education Conference on improving progression routes to higher education, Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+, said: “There can be no ifs or buts. Widening participation programmes work and modern universities in particular have delivered in abundance new opportunities which have improved social mobility. However widening participation is completely different from the current obsession with fair access which essentially concentrates on a very small numbers of school students entering a small number of universities.
“Widening participation relies on and can only be deepened by a continued expansion in funded student numbers and by dedicated work to create new opportunities and improve attainment. Public funding is critical to this. The Work Foundation has got it right with its proposal that all applicants who are qualified should be guaranteed a place at university in 2010. So long as universities are given a guarantee that places will be fully funded and that they will not be penalised for over-recruitment in future years, many modern universities would be only too pleased to respond with offers of additional full-time and part-time places in 2010. Every additional 7000 students cost approximately £250m in teaching grant and student support when calculated over the 25 years that graduates can currently repay their loans. Would-be students will find it strange if banks can be funded to stay afloat in a recession but universities cannot be funded to offer them places.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education. www.millionplus.ac.uk
- Pam Tatlow made the comments in a speech today (3 December) at the EMAP Higher Education Conference: Improving progression routes to Higher Education
- For more information please contact Victoria Mills on 0207 7171655 or 07900 277819