By John Morgan. Further austerity measures could wreak havoc with BIS’ stretched finances. Fears are growing that England’s universities could suffer from the perception that they are “awash with cash”, as the Treasury seeks cuts of £1 billion in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ 2015-16 budget.
Vince Cable, the business secretary, is opposing the Treasury’s spending review plans for cuts of up to 8 per cent to his department, where higher education is by far the biggest area of spending.
Such a cut would be in line with projected reductions at other non- protected departments.
By contrast, in Australia the representative body for universities has launched an A$5 million (£3.4 million) campaign in election year to push for annual increases in state investment and promote public awareness of higher education. Read more...

Par Pierre Courtioux. La réforme du mode de financement de l’enseignement supérieur nécessaire pour dégager les six milliards d’euros évoqués par le rapport Le Déaut est une question sensible dès lors que l’on aborde la question de l’augmentation des droits d’inscription.
Pour certains commentateurs, la gratuité absolue de l’accès à l’enseignement supérieur constitue la meilleure politique, dès lors que l’impôt sur le revenu (instrument fiscal progressif) en assure le financement. Il nous semble que cette position, à première vue républicaine et généreuse, n’en a que l’apparence. Plusieurs raisons à cela.
Tout d’abord, contrairement à « l’école républicaine », l’accès à l’enseignement supérieur est sélectif et le niveau de dépense publique par étudiant à la fin des études très divers. Certains étudiants s’arrêteront au niveau Licence, d’autres iront jusqu’au Doctorat; certains passeront par des classes préparatoires, des BTS, ou des grandes écoles avec des dépenses publiques annuelles par tête d’étudiant pouvant varier du simple au sextuple pour un même niveau d’étude! Le principe d’une école républicaine gratuite destinée à former des citoyens n’est pas séparable de son caractère obligatoire. La mesure dans laquelle l’enseignement supérieur est une condition de la citoyenneté active justifiant un financement par l’impôt est certainement plus sujette à débat. Il reste cependant douteux que l’ensemble des dépenses publiques dans ce domaine servent à former des citoyens, sauf à justifier d’une citoyenneté à plusieurs vitesses! Suite de l'article...

By Nicola Koper. When I landed a tenure-track position, several years ago now, I remember thinking how nice it was going to be not to have to worry about money anymore. I was finally on salary. No more applying for grants and scholarships every year and wondering how I was going to put food on the table if I didn’t get them. But things really haven’t turned out that way. This is just one of those cases where my expectations were, lets say, divergent from reality. Read more...

By David Ellis. Student finance has changed over the last few years and with each change has come new misunderstandings. David Ellis debunks six of the most common myths.
As if Pancake Day and Valentine’s Day weren't enough, this week is also National Student Money Week. Yes, try to remain calm. But the message is simple and noteworthy: apply now and make sure you know what you’re applying for. To find out more about the week, either visit the Student Loans Company's (SLC) Guide to National Student Money Week, or find details of upcoming student finance surgeries here.
But student finance has changed quite a bit over the last few years, bringing about various misconceptions. Here's a quick guide to six of the most common. Read more...

By Harvey Jones. With average student debt running at £39,000, many parents will bear some of the cost burden of a university education. They used to say a good education was priceless, but these days we know exactly what it costs – and it isn't cheap. The average student now expects to graduate with £39,000 of debt, according to the Money Advice Service. Tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year for full-time students (and £6,750 a year for part timers), accommodation costs, living expenses and course books all add up to a hefty sum.
Graduating with debts of £39,000 sounds daunting, but it may still be a price worth paying. On average, graduates earn £12,000 a year more than those without a degree, according to the Office for National Statistics. For many families, parents will bear some of the cost burden of a university education. So what do you need to know if your child is about to embark on higher education? Read more...

By Jason B. Jones. This week the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education launched an important new paper series on funding higher education. Rejecting the premise that one of the richest nations in history can’t afford to educate its citizens, and strongly defending the idea that education is public good, the series offers pragmatic steps toward an ambitious goal: seriously funding higher education so that a quality education is accessible to all who would benefit from it.
In the series, Bob Samuels explicitly calls for “Making All Public Higher Education Free”, Stanton A. Glantz and Eric Hays explore “Financial Options for Restoring Quality and Access to Public Higher Education in California”, and AAUP president Rudy Fichtenbaum explains “How to Invest in Higher Education: A Financial Speculation Tax.” They’re well worth careful attention. Read more...