Higher Education Reform to Back Opportunity and Protect Students
The Government has today (November 4, 2024) published its long-awaited Higher Education Reform white paper, setting out plans to shake up the higher education system in England.
The proposals include:
- A new ‘Lifelong Learning Entitlement’ that will give everyone the right to access up to four years of free or low-cost higher education at any point in their lives.
- A new ‘Higher Education Achievement Fund’ that will provide £1.5 billion a year to support disadvantaged students and help them to succeed in higher education.
- A new ‘Student Protection Authority’ that will regulate higher education providers and ensure that they are providing students with a high-quality education.
The Government says that these reforms are necessary to make higher education fairer and more accessible, and to ensure that students are getting a good return on their investment.
Universities UK, the representative body for UK universities, welcomed the Government’s commitment to lifelong learning, but said that it was concerned about the impact of the new funding arrangements on universities.
The National Union of Students (NUS) said that the reforms were a “step in the right direction”, but that they did not go far enough to address the underlying problems in the higher education system.
The Government has said that it will work with universities and students to implement the reforms, and that it will continue to invest in higher education.
Key Points
- The new Lifelong Learning Entitlement will give everyone the right to access up to four years of free or low-cost higher education at any point in their lives.
- The new Higher Education Achievement Fund will provide £1.5 billion a year to support disadvantaged students and help them to succeed in higher education.
- The new Student Protection Authority will regulate higher education providers and ensure that they are providing students with a high-quality education.
Background
The higher education system in England has been under review for several years. In 2019, the Government published a green paper on higher education reform, which set out a number of proposals for change. The white paper published today is the Government’s response to the green paper.
The higher education sector is a major part of the UK economy, contributing over £100 billion to GDP each year. However, the sector has been facing a number of challenges in recent years, including rising student debt, declining levels of funding, and concerns about the quality of teaching.
The Government says that the reforms set out in the white paper are necessary to address these challenges and to make higher education fairer and more accessible.
Higher education reform to back opportunity and protect students
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