The long awaited Augar Review - the first significant review of tertiary education since 2010 – was published at the end of May. It is fully summarised here and featured in The Guardian editorial, with specialist comment here and here.
Some of the headline proposals include:
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HE fees to be capped at £7,500.
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Changes to the student repayment threshold (presently £25,000) and repayment period.
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Reintroduction of maintenance grants for students from low-income households.
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All secondary schools to be part of a careers hub.
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Increase the funding rate for 18 year-olds.
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New rules on loans for FE courses.
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First full Level 3 course should be free to all learners, whether they are in employment or not.
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Prioritisation of apprenticeships which meet the government’s Industrial Strategy (away from some of the expensive Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships).
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The lack of post-16 funding has, put strain on school sixth forms and colleges. A new College Oversight, Support and Intervention policy document has been published by the DfE. It provides some useful steps and pointers on how to identify, avoid or address financial concerns.