Collaborative action to address the dramatic fall in the participation of mature students in higher education Bridge Group Summit 19 March 2018 " Claire Callender Professor of Higher Education Birkbeck and UCL IoE c.callender@bbk.ac.uk

Part-time undergraduate entrants to UK universities living in England, 2003 to 2015 (thousands) part-time undergraduate higher education study helps transform lives and drive economies. It is central to lifelong learning, to the national skills strategy, for reskilling and upskilling the workforce, and for widening higher education participation. Yet, This shows the overall long-term decline in the number of part-time undergraduate entrants domiciled in England at UK universities, especially since 2008. Between 2008/09 and 2015/16, the number of part-time undergraduate entrants living in England attending UK universities fell by 58%. But the falls have been even more dramatic since 2012 and the student funding reforms and that is what I want to focus on the declines since the 2012/13 and the role of the reforms of student funding. Source: Callender & Thompson, 2018

The 2012/13 reforms of part-time student funding

2012/13 part-time student funding reforms Worthwhile reminding ourselves of how the 2012/13reforms affected part-time students Abolished means-tested fee and course grants, And replaced by tuition fee loans and reduced teaching grants leading to big increases in tuition fees. 2012/13 part-time student funding reforms Withdrew most of universities’ teaching funds Capped undergraduate tuition fees at £6,750 per annum. Abolished tuition fee and course grants for part-time students. Introduced tuition fees loans for the first time for part-time students

Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System, 2011 For the first time, students starting part-time undergraduate courses in 2012/13, many of whom are from non-traditional backgrounds, will be entitled to an up-front loan to meet their tuition costs…. This is a major step in terms of opening up access to higher education, and remedies a long-standing injustice in support for adult learners. Up to around 175,000 part-time students will benefit. (BIS, 2011, 61. Emphasis added) This is a quote from the 2011 White paper sets out the aims of the reforms. Clear gvt hoped that these changes would open up access to HE and stem the decline in PT HE study, which has occurred over the past decade. The reforms for part-time students were also important in terms of: Improving the skills of the existing workforce reskilling and up-skilling its workforce; encouraging more people to study part-time; and making part-time study affordable Appears to be having the opposite effect Spend the rest of the presentation exploring why

The impact of the 2012/13 reforms of part-time student funding

Part-time undergraduate entrants to UK universities and FECs in England, 2010-2015 As already mentioned a following 2012/13 reforms part-time student entrant numbers plummeted. In 2010, the last year not to be affected by the 2012 fee increases for entrants domiciled in England, there were 216,000 entrants. By 2015, the numbers had fallen to 106,000- a fall of 51%. Numbers have halved. At the Open University the key provider of part-time study, the fall was greater at 63%, than the fall at other universities and FE colleges in England of 45% .

Part-time sector is not just smaller, its different The biggest drops have been among: mature students over-35, those pursuing sub-degree qualifications, such as courses leading to institutional credit, and Low intensity courses (lower than 25% full-time equivalent). The part-time sector is not just smaller, it is different. The nature, breadth and flexibility of part-time provision have changed as a result of the 2012 reforms and especially the incentives provided by the loan system, with drastic drops in take up of sub-degree, low intensity ‘continuing education’ type courses – and many of these courses were vocationally orientated. HEIs change their provision so more students would be eligible for student loans, while students are selecting courses that qualify for loans – more of that in a minute However, between 2010 and 2015, the number of entrants to universities and FE colleges taking a degree also fell by 33%, challenging the claim that degree numbers have held up, though this is smaller than the 57% decline for those aiming for ‘other’ qualifications. Biggest falls: mature students over-35 those pursuing sub-degree qualifications, such as courses leading to institutional credit, rather than degree courses Low intensity courses (lower than 25% full-time equivalent).

Tuition fees rocket Large increases in tuition fees, greater than anything experienced before. The Open University increased its fees for students living in England from £1,400 to £5,000 per FTE between 2011 and 2012, a real rise of 247%. In 2012/13, the median tuition fee charged for a part-time degree was £5,000 per FTE and some institutions charged the maximum £9,000 per FTE. . While student numbers plummeted, student tuition fees have rocketted. Unsurprisingly, following the 2012 reforms, undergraduate part-time tuition fees rose because higher education institutions no longer received direct public funding for most of their teaching. Fees more than doubled or trebelled. We don’t have comprehensive reliable data on tuition fees for the sector as a whole for 2011 or now for that matter– but the OU whose fees are lower than many other providers increased their fees for students living in England by 247% in real terms between 2011 and 2012. These increases were larger than anything experienced in the sector.

Understanding the decline in part-time study WHY HAS THERE BEEN A FALL IN DEMAND? There is little doubt that the changes in student funding have played a very significant role in the decline in demand for part-time undergraduate study. Understanding the decline in part-time study

Impact of tuition fee hikes Part-time students numbers in England have been declining since 2008. But fee increases in 2012 caused a far greater decline. If entrant numbers had fallen by the same proportion as entrants domiciled in Wales (unaffected by the 2012 reforms), in 2015 there would have been 149,000 entrants living in England instead of 106,000. 40% of the decline can be attributed to tuition fee increase in 2012. 43,000 ‘lost’ part-timers. By comparing trends for entrants domiciled in England, with those in Scotland and Wales, who were unaffected by the 2012 reforms, it is clear that the decline in 2012 was caused by the large increase in tuition fees in England. The evidence from both the trends in numbers of entrants to the Open University and to other universities, suggests that without the 2012 changes entrant numbers would have declined, but that the 2012 changes increased that decline. If the entrant numbers had fallen by the same proportion as for entrants domiciled in Wales (unaffected by the 2012 reforms), in 2015 there would have been 149,000 entrants domiciled in England. This suggests that something like 40% of the decline in English domiciled entrants can be attributed to the 2012 reforms, with over 43,000 fewer entrants in 2015 than we would expect without those changes.

Eligibility and take up of loans, 2012   No. entrants All entrants Eligible entrants % Cum. % 133,705 100% Eligible for loan 54,830 41% Loan taken out 32,335 24% 59% Employer support 6,805 5% 29% 12% 71% Fee waiver 1,430 1% 30% 3% 73% The new tuition fee loans for part-time students introduced in 2012, were meant to mitigate any negative effect on access resulting from tuition fee rises. They were designed to protect students from these tuition fee rises, to make part-time study more affordable, and to safeguard access. But sadly they haven’t. Only a minority of all students are eligible for loans. As this table shows 41% of part-time undergraduate entrants domiciled in England attending UK Universities including the Open University, and FE colleges in England qualified for loans in 2012, and this figure has risen to 47% in 2015. And this is because of the restrictive eligibility criteria of these loans are too restrictive. Most ineligible for a loan do not meet a variety of the loan eligibility criteria, which are not just related to ELQ restrictions and students’ higher education qualifications on entry.

What needs to change to stop the decline in part-time study?

SLIDE To conclude SO WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE? The demise of the part-time undergraduate sector in England is clearly related to the 2012/13 reforms of student funding: it is one of the victims of these policy changes. Clear market failure If the government is really committed to its 2012/13 policy objectives of reskilling and up-skilling its workforce; averting the demise of the part-time undergraduate sector; encouraging more people to study part-time; opening access; and making part-time study affordable, it will need to take some radical action. What needs to change? Current policies designed for the ‘typical student and graduate’ - a young school leaver studying full-time and entering the labour market for the first time. Policies need to acknowledge the distinctive characteristics and educational needs of part-time students – a ‘one size fits all’ policy approach does not work Need a financial model that does not deter students from participating while incentivising higher education institutions to provide HE courses.

Recommendations New tuition fee grant at low or zero additional unit cost Students who are eligible for the new part-time maintenance loan should be offered a tuition fee grant for the first two years of their course instead of having to take out a maintenance loan. More investment in part-time study by government Clearer and more accurate information for students on fees and loan eligibility Better information for policy development New Grant One option, at a low or zero additional unit cost, would be to give students who are eligible for the new maintenance loan the option of a tuition fee grant for the first two years of their course instead of taking out the maintenance loan. This means-tested tuition fee grant would help tackle the three financial constraints students encounter: price and liquidity constraints as well as debt aversion. It would cover most, at least 95%, of the tuition fee, so less than £200 in tuition fees would be paid up front, and gives a break-even RAB charge of 42%.

Reference Claire Callender and John Thompson (2018) The Lost Part-timers: The decline of part-time undergraduate higher education in England. Sutton Trust: London https://www.suttontrust.com/research-paper/lost-part-timers-mature-students/