Million Plus

million+ welcomes the report from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) which was published today (29 April) and says all parties need to be clear on their plans for higher education to address the severe decline of part-time study in the UK. The report ‘Pressure from all sides: Economic and policy influences on part-time higher education’ shows that the sharp drop of almost 50% in part-time study since 2010-11 in publicly-funded higher education is likely to have been influenced by the recession and public policy changes.

Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University and chair of the university think-tank million+ said:

“The 2012 higher education reforms in England damaged part-time study at a time when students and employers were already under pressure because of the economic downturn.”

“All political parties need to say more about their future plans to fund universities before the next election but they also must make clear how their plans will support students who want to study for a degree part-time and when they are older.”

Ends

Notes to Editors
1. For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Victoria Robinson, Press and Communications Officer, million+ on 020 7717 1658 / 07527 336 795 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk.
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk.
3. The publication ‘Pressure from all sides: Economic and policy influences on part-time higher education’ will be available on the HEFCE website.