Hike a graphic illustration of fee ‘madness’

Hike a graphic illustration of fee ‘madness’  | Julie Hare | The Australian Higher Education | 17 July, 2013

COURSE fees for graphic design at Canberra Institute of Technology have risen 1000 per cent in five years, an advanced diploma costing double that of a bachelors degree at nearby Canberra University. Pat Forward, national TAFE secretary for the Australian Education Union, said government reforms under the Council of Australian Governments was driving irrationality in policy, with the removal of subsidies for higher-level vocational qualifications forcing providers to offer courses on a full-fee recovery basis.

Low-cost universities fail to fill ‘margin’ places

Low-cost universities fail to fill ‘margin’ places | David Matthews | Times Higher Education | 21 February 2013

Coalition reveals ‘disturbing’ shortfall. A key government policy designed to cut tuition fees has been labelled a failure after it emerged that nearly half the places reallocated to lower-cost universities went unfilled.

English tuition-fee regime gets thumbs up on mobility

English tuition-fee regime gets thumbs up on mobility | John Morgan | Times Higher Education | 13 September 2012

‘Most advanced’ student-support structure in developed world, says OECD. England’s tuition-fee reforms of 2006 produced the most “advanced” student-support system of any developed nation and have not deterred poorer students, while low-fee nations such as France, Spain and Italy are performing poorly.

You mean Offa is toothless? The reason for policy chaos

You mean Offa is toothless? The reason for policy chaos | Rebecca Attwood | Times Higher Education | 24 February 2011

Ministers’ muddle caused by belief that access chief could ‘impose’ fees. The government mistakenly believed that the Office for Fair Access had legal powers to “impose” different tuition fee levels on universities and is now struggling to deal with the financial consequences of its error, it has emerged.In a candid assessment of the fraught policy position, Sir Martin Harris, the director of fair access, said that although he was unclear about how the government had come to such a view, he was sure that a solution would be found because “in the end, the Treasury always wins”.