Queen Mary, University of London

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)


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?
"Tricky. In some sense it's all circular depending on Offa expectations. There will be a range of up to ?3-4,000. A typical figure more like ?1,500.


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
"This is the debate we are having now."


6 If yes, are they funded
A From central university funds
B From a benefactor, private donations, etc?
C A mixture. "Limited endowments and donations."


7 Have you employed outside agencies to help you make the decision (market researchers/brand managers)?
A Yes - "we are doing market research."
B No


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
"All those are up for grabs, there will be prioritizing. Clearly at the end of the day it needs to improve the students' experience. But research and staff pay could contribute to that."


9 Will top-up fees provide enough extra income for the university for the foreseeable future?
A Yes
B No. "There's never enough, but it will make a significant difference."


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 10 years
"I 'd be very surprised if it was still there in five years' time.


11 Do you think top-up fees will put less well-off students off going to university?
A Yes
B No. "Not if the information is handled appropriately."


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
"Depends how broadly it interprets widening participation. If it's all-embracing it shouldn't inhibit us. If it started setting narrow silly targets that could stall the process considerably. The key thing is when will we get some sense of what Offa's about. We're all playing in the dark."