History of student funding in the UK.

courtesy of
robgreenhalgh.wordpress.com

My time at University has almost come to an end and the thought of leaving and no longer being a student brings with it quite a lot of stress. I have really enjoyed being a student but as I will be graduating in July I am beginning to worry about what I am going to do for money once my final student loan is gone and how long it will take me to pay off my student debt.

However, should us students of today be more grateful for all the financial support we have been given during our time at university or have we not been given enough? I was interested to discover how student financial support and tuition fees have changed over the years so I have created this timeline of important dates in the history of student funding in the UK.

courtesy of
joemoransblog.blogspot.com

1944 It  may be hard to imagine now but there was a time when education was not available for everyone in the UK. The Education Act of 1944 introduced more equal access and opportunities in education and local authorities were now able to provide grants and bursaries to students over the school leaving age.

1960 Plans for a grants system for students began in May 1960. The Anderson Committee report stated that more university places would be made available and those people qualified would  now be able to attend University.

1962 The Education Act of 1962 introduced the first mandatory maintenance grants for students. Grants were £340 a year and were used to cover the cost of student living, these grants wouldn't even cover a terms rent these days! Also, tuition fees were paid by local education authorities and not by the government like they are today. 

1970s At the beginning of the 1970s one in seven 18 year olds were in higher education but this fell to one in eight by the end of the decade as university funding was cut and many school pupils decided not to go to sixth form as they were not guaranteed a place at university when they finished.

1980 University student grants increased from £380 to £1,430 a year.

1984 Keith Joseph, the conservative education secretary, abandons plans which wanted parents to be made to pay towards their children's tuition fees.

1989 The first student loans were introduced by the conservative party following the freezing of student grants. All university applicants were entitled to student loans of up to £420 but grants of up to £2265 remained available for poorer students.

1990 A new system of student financial support came into operation in September 1990. Full time students were no longer able to claim unemployment benefit and the majority of students were also not entitled to housing benefit or income support.

courtesy of bbc.co.uk

1996 Lord Dearing was commissioned by Prime Minister John Major to make some recommendations on funding for higher education.

19971997 was a very busy year for student funding and many changes were introduced. The Labour party were elected on a manifesto that promised student maintence loans would be repaid by university graduates on an income related basis. The Dearing report was also published during this year, the report recommended that students pay back 25% of the cost of their tuition fees. Means tested student loans were introduced and the student grant of £1710 was abolished.

1998 The Teaching and Higher Education Act was passed by the labour government and tuition fees of £1000 a year were introduced. The total loans provided by the student loans company increased from £941million in 1997 to £1.23billion in the following academic year.

2001The labour party is re-elected after promising top up fees will not be introduced. 

2002Over 80 labour backbenchers believed tuition fees should be scrapped. Also during 2002, the Welsh assembly reintroduced maintenance grants for Welsh students studying in the UK.

2003 Labour proposed that universities should set their own tuition fees, capping the amount at £3000 a year and these fees would be repaid once graduates earn more than £15000 a year.  

2005 Students from low income families are offered bursaries as nearly all universities set their tuition fees to the maximum of £3000 a year.

2006 Even after raising tuition fees, universities claim they still need extra funding of £1.3billion.

courtesy of nerditorial.com

2008 Thousands of students took part in protests against tuition fees. The protests were arranged by the National Union of Students who wanted a bursary system to be introduced but their oppositions were dropped later in 2008.

2010 A commons vote sees universities being able to raise tuition fees to £9000 a year. The motion was passed with a majority of 21. Student protests took place in London in November in response to the increase in tuition fees.

                                    

2012 Students starting university in England this September may be charged up to £9000 a year depending on whether their university has decided to charge the maximum fee.

If you were starting university this year, would this increase in tuition fees effect your decision?