University College 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?
"Beyond the ?300 the work we're now doing is looking at student profiles, trying to assess what proportion of our income we want to continue to apply to outreach work and the balance we'll strike between that and the bursary scholarship side. At the moment we have been assuming that it could be up to one third of the fees going on bursaries."


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
"No decision in principal, we want to get the most talented pupils in and help the most needy. On a subject basis some areas are weaker in recruitment and that may be reflected."


6 If yes, are they funded
A From central university funds?
B From a benefactor, private donations, etc?
C A mixture
"In parallel we are launching major fundraising campaign at the beginning of October to brings funds in, some for bursaries."


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
"If we were to apply the one third rule, our budget next year is ?520m, top-up fees gross will be ?18m. It's a small proportion. It's welcome but the highest priority is student facilities."


9 Will top-up fees provide enough extra income for the university for the foreseeable future?
A Yes
B No
"I think there are two other elements. One is getting the full cost of the research we do. That is more important to us. We need to diversify our income, particularly by fundraising and commercial activities, such as IPR."


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 believe it would be lifted incrementally. For the cap to go it would force universities to be much more shrewd and strategic. It wouldn't be unwelcome."


11 Do you think top-up fees will put less well-off students off going to university?
A Yes
B No
"I think at the margins it will and may already have done so because of the publicity. A lot of the publicity has been unfortunate. If you look at the net effect people don't realize that some of the things will make students better off."


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 have no idea, and nor does it. We haven't got an Offa, we have an absurd timetable for Offa to consider the access agreements that will come from institutions."