Royal College of Music

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 one undergraduate programme and one postgraduate programme - so we would be expecting to charge the same for all."


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 Nov

4 How much for?
"We already have a number of scholarships schemes - about 40% on the basis of merit are already receiving scholarships up to full fees - it's not a question to introduce, but to amend these schemes."


5 If yes, will they be:
A Targeted at the most needy students
B Targeted at subjects which are short of studentsv C A mixture, please detail - "for merit as well".


6 If yes, are they funded
A From central university funds
B From a benefactor, private donations, etc?
C A mixture. "Largely B but depending on how this works it's conceivable that it might well be from central funds too."


7 Have you employed outside agencies to help you make the decision (market researchers/brand managers)?
A Yes
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
"We haven't got as far as considering this - though it certainly wouldn't be on research. It also depends how much we raise privately because that might come with conditions attached."


9 Will top-up fees provide enough extra income for the university for the foreseeable future?
A Yes
B No. "It's very small beer for us."


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


11 Do you think top-up fees will put less well-off students off going to university?
A Yes
B No
"It's difficult to say - the instinctive reaction is yes, but in practice one knows from other countries that that isn't necessarily the result that it's had. There's a risk of that in the short term."


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. "I simply don't know, I don't think any of us know how Offa would operate."


"There are certain things that are particular to music in terms of the cost - there are associated costs. In order to reach the proper standards to enter us, their families will have been paying for tuition for many years, because the state system doesn't offer these young people the opportunities.

"The cost of that does mean that families have already faced quite significant costs before they get there. They do have quite significant costs."