Higher education
This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on higher education. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.
Standard Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 12.07.2013 | Entrants to higher education |
| The number of students applying to university through UCAS has increased for many years. The main exceptions were when tuition fees were introduced (1998), 'variable' fees meant they were increased (2006) and when the cap on fees was lifted to £9,000 in England in 2012. In 2012 the number of applicants fell by around 47,000 (6.6%) and the number of acceptances by around 27,000 (5.5%). There were larger percentage falls among students who will be liable for higher fees; and the largest drop among older applicants (who could avoid higher fees by starting earlier) and students from the EU (who could avoid higher fees by studying elsewhere). Applications up to the end of June 2013 were 3.1% higher than in 2012. | |
| 12.07.2013 | Tuition fee statistics |
| This note gives a brief summary of statistics on aggregate tuition fee liability/payment under the current system, the impact on student numbers, payment by student characteristics and the contribution of tuition fees to higher education funding. Most statistics cover England and Wales, although data on variable fees is for England only. Some international data is also included. | |
| 12.07.2013 | The value of student maintenance support |
| Maintenance grants, maintenance loans levels and income thresholds were all frozen in England at 2009/10 levels in 2010/11 and 2011/12. 2012/13 saw maximum grant levels for new students from England increased by 12%, maximum loan levels by 11%, changes to income thresholds and fee loans were extended to part-time students. Those starting in 2012 were the first to come under the new funding arrangements and were liable for tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year. The maximum grant increased by 3.2% in 2013/14, it will be 1% higher in 2014/15 and frozen in 2015/16. Maintenance loans were frozen in 2013 and the maximum will increase by 1% in 2014/15. Income thresholds have been frozen in both 2012/13 and 2014/15. | |
| 10.07.2013 | HE in England from 2012: Funding and finance |
| The Government raised the cap on tuition fees for new student to £9,000 in 2012/13 and cut most ongoing direct public funding for tuition in England. This shifted the balance of higher education funding further away from the state and further towards the individual who benefits. Students can take out publicly subsided student loans to pay these higher fees. There is uncertainty about the final size of this subsidy and hence the extent of the shift in funding from the state to the individual beneficiary. | |
| 03.07.2013 | Student loan statistics |
| This note gives a background to student loans, statistics on their take-up, the total value owed, repayment, public expenditure, arguments for reform and factors that affect loan take-up. It gives some details on the proposed changes for England from 2012/13. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 05.05.2011 | Education Bill: Committee Stage Report |
| This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Education Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/14, prepared for the Commons Second Reading debate, which examines the range of matters covered by the Bill. As originally presented, the Bill sought to make provision relating to the National Assembly for Wales' framework powers. However, these clauses were removed from the Bill following the 'yes' vote in the Welsh Devolution Referendum. A Government amendment to clause 13 (reporting restrictions on alleged offences by teachers) was agreed to without a vote. This inserted new schedule 11B into the Education Act 2002, and was introduced to secure compliance with a European Electronic Commerce Directive. Several minor and technical Government amendments were also made to the Bill. The Opposition tabled many amendments, a considerable number of which were pressed to a division, but none was successful. | |
| 07.02.2011 | Education Bill [Bill 137 of 2010-11] |
| This paper has been written for the House of Commons Second Reading debate on the Education Bill [Bill 137] on 8 February 2011. The Bill seeks to implement the legislative proposals in the Department for Education's schools White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching', and measures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills relating to skills and the reform of higher education funding. It is therefore a very wide-ranging Bill. | |
| 18.12.2007 | Sale of Student Loans Bill Committee Stage Report, Bill 13 of 2007-08 |
| Sale of Student Loans Bill Committee Stage Report. (Bill 13 of 2007-08). House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/92. | |
| 15.11.2007 | Sale of Student Loans Bill, Bill 6 of 2007/08. |
| Sale of Student Loans Bill. (Bill 6 of 2007/08). House of commons Library Research Paper 07/78. | |
| 21.01.2004 | Higher Education Bill (Bill 35 2003/04) |
| Higher Education Bill. (Bill 35 of 2003/04). House of Commons Library Research Paper 04/08. |
Select Committee Reports
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 13.03.2012 | Modernisation of higher education in Europe. |
| European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords] | |
| 20.10.2011 | Student visas follow-up report. |
| Government response. Home Affairs Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 18.07.2011 | Student visas follow-up report. |
| Government response. Home Affairs Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 11.05.2011 | Regulating financial sustainability in higher education. |
| Public Accounts Committee report [Commons] | |
| 15.03.2011 | Student visas. |
| Home Affairs Select Committee report [Commons] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 15.12.2011 | MASTERS DEGREE IN SIGN LANGUAGE |
| That this House congratulates Heriot-Watt University on becoming the first in Scotland to offer a full-time MA in British Sign Language (BSL); notes with concern that there are only ... | |
| 30.11.2011 | STEVE ROBERTSON MBE |
| That this House expresses sadness at the death of Scottish comedy star Steve Robertson MBE; believes that he will be remembered with great affection as one-third of the Scotland The ... | |
| 28.11.2011 | EDWARD BAUER, THE RIGHT TO PROTEST AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH |
| That this House notes the Birmingham University Guild of Students is running disciplinary proceedings against Edward Bauer, the elected Sabbatical Vice President (Education) of the ... | |
| 10.10.2011 | PROPOSED MERGER OF SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES |
| <p>That this House condemns proposals put forward by the Scottish Government in Holyrood to force Scottish universities to merge and in so doing undermining their academic and administrative ... | |
| 27.06.2011 | FOR-PROFIT UNIVERSITIES |
| That this House is concerned by the possible expansion of for-profit providers in the higher education sector; is further concerned that the world-class teaching and research of the ... |
Lords Library Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 09.06.2011 | Education Bill (HL Bill 67 of 2010-12) |
| This Library Note provides information for the second reading of the Education Bill in the House of Lords. |
POST Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 08.03.2013 | STEM education for 14-19 year olds |
| This POSTnote reviews the current state of STEM education for 14-19 year olds in the UK, highlighting key challenges and ongoing policy reforms. | |
| 01.01.2007 | Strategic science, January 2007 |
| Strategic science, January 2007. POSTnote 07/277. |
