million+ comment on OFFA research on impact, awareness and take-up of bursaries in England
Following the publication of research by the Office of Fair Access (OFFA) on the impact, awareness and take-up of bursaries in England, the university think tank million+ has called for a fair and easy to use national bursary scheme to ensure that all university students in the same financial circumstances are entitled to the same bursary support.
million+ Chief Executive, Pam Tatlow said: “The OFFA research shows the clear current disparity in bursary support available to students. It cannot be acceptable that students who study in a small number of universities receive bursaries which are double the amount received by those who study in other institutions, even though they are in exactly the same financial circumstances.
“This research fails to make clear that Russell Group universities are dealing with very small numbers of low income students. Many more students from low income families, who study in other universities, are not being helped by a complex, market-driven system.
“The other important message is that clarity and easily accessible information on bursaries is urgently needed. According to this research, universities, students and parents are all united in the view that the current system of bursaries is far too complex and confusing. They cannot all be wrong.
“This report reinforces the case for a simple national bursary scheme, widely promoted to all students, that is easy to access and fair to all. Such a scheme would ensure that all students from lower income backgrounds were encouraged to go to university and it would end the postcode lottery in bursaries that currently exists. It is immensely disappointing that OFFA has not reached this obvious conclusion in spite of the overwhelming evidence provided by its own research. ”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education. www.millionplus.ac.uk
- The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) is an independent, non departmental public body established under the Higher Education Act 2004 to help promote and safeguard fair access to higher education. The new national research into the impact, awareness and take-up of institutional bursaries and scholarships in England will be published on the OFFA website on Thursday 3 December including a summary and recommendations. The report confirms that, on average, students in Russell Group Universities received twice as much as similar students at a post-1992 HEI (£1,500 compared with £700).
- For more information please contact Victoria Mills on 0207 7171655 or 07900 277819