Loughborough University

1 Will you charge:
A Top-up fees across the board maximum (?3,000)
B A flat rate for all courses below ?3,000. (If so, what is it?)
C Different rates for different courses.(If so,please specify range - ie minimum/maximum)
We have definitely taken a decision to charge top up fees, there's no firm decision yet, but my personal view will be ?3,000. this likely


2 If you are varying fees will they be:
A Lower for Sciences
B Lower for Arts/Humanities/social sciences
C Lower for foundation degrees
D Lower for vocationally-focused degrees
E A combination, please state (areas or specific courses)


3 Are you introducing bursaries?
A Yes
B No


4 How much for?
A range of preliminary work has gone on. They won't be fixed, but variable.


5 If yes, will they be:
A Targeted at the most needy students
B Targeted at subjects which are short of students
C A mixture, please detail - "the bursary scheme will be part merit-based and part on means testing."


6 If yes, are they funded
A From central university funds
B From a benefactor, private donations, etc?
C A mixture. "It will be largely central university funds, however, it's worthwhile saying we already have a substantial bursary scheme in place now for our sponsored degree programmes. We currently have, for example, about 300 students sponsored by BAE systems."


7 Have you employed outside agencies to help you make the decision (market researchers/brand managers)?
A Yes
B No
"About a year ago we got someone to do a bit of market research because we hadn't had that done before."


8 Where will you spend the extra income?
A Better student facilities
B Better academic facilities
C Better academic pay
D Bursaries
E Bumping up research capacity
F Other, please state
"Developing an internal model for how this will work."


9 Will top-up fees provide enough extra income for the university for the foreseeable future?
A Yes - up until 2010
B No
" My reading is that UK universities that have got their act together ought to have a reasonably good stable and encouraging financial position through to 2010. Fees will be coming in from 2006/7.

"The other area is with the government, the bureacracy could remain an issue. The government is putting more money into meeting the indirect costs of research. Then there's international students.. There will continue to be an increase. But endowments and private donations are the long haul.

"I feel reasonably comfortable through to 2010. These additional sources are crucial because salary inflation is high. Without wanting to be complacent we are feeling pretty comfortable."


10 How long do you expect the limit on top-up fees to remain at ?3,000
A 1-3 years
B 4-6 years
C 7-10 years
D Over ten years
"Some universities are already making the case for relaxing that limit."


11 Do you think top-up fees will put less well-off students off going to university?
A Yes
B No
"Difficult to judge. I don't think anyone really knows the outcome of that. The bursaries and grants are good, it's potentially easier for them. My own instinct is that it's the middle band who are having to pay and don't get support who will struggle."


12 How do you think Offa will affect your attempts to widen participation?
A Help
B Hinder
C Have no effect
D Undecided, please state
"It will have an effect. It bureacratises something we do already. We cannot afford to fail on Offa so we'll have to go with it. There are so many areas where universities have really had to make sure they did well; we can't afford to fail this. We're spending a quarter of a million pounds on information for schools to try to support them."