tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post5924900510282223127..comments2023-10-26T10:45:41.148+01:00Comments on The Rambler: Higher tuition fees will not deter students. Fact.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05116092118768607000noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-38094202905051493372015-01-25T01:56:20.018+00:002015-01-25T01:56:20.018+00:00that's very fantastic blog i like it.
i am als...that's very fantastic blog i like it.<br />i am also student that's why i love to read your article .<br />thanks for this .you most more great blogs in future . . . .<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.primusplace.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Liberty Park</a> | <a href="http://www.primusplace.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Unite</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-70819404208345643642010-09-27T09:55:05.955+01:002010-09-27T09:55:05.955+01:00...continued from previous post, directly above.........continued from previous post, directly above...<br /><br />The point of our research was never to predict pricing but has always been to demonstrate differentials – as we state, “Each institution needs to determine its place in the market and price accordingly.” But we also pointed out – perhaps for the first time that, “...it was not the type of institution that was the most important driver of how much students were willing to pay for their degree, but subject area”, suggesting that differential fees by subject as well as institution are likely. Students taking subjects which command a high wage in the labour market are more willing to pay higher fees. Finally we acknowledged the key issues around social equality. “More able and socially advantaged students were, perhaps unsurprisingly, willing to pay higher fees. Institutions, therefore, need to be aware of the potentially adverse effect of raising fees for particular sub-groups of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even though these poorer students may be exempt from fees altogether, universities have an important role in explaining this fact to more disadvantaged students to prevent them from being discouraged from participating altogether or limiting the universities or courses they might consider due to the apparent high costs.” <br /><br />I hope this has been a useful clarification. Meanwhile I stand by our research and hope that you now see its merit.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-14395079575447812882010-09-27T09:53:40.899+01:002010-09-27T09:53:40.899+01:00Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledg...Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledged it’s limitations and I think your quote is taken out of context. Throughout our report (both the full version and the free summary) we emphasise that the focus is on differences in rejection levels rather than absolute numbers. Differences by institution, differences by subject area and differences by the students’ background. We don’t focus on absolute numbers because willingness to pay is, at present, determined by the cap. Currently it’s manifest that there is no fees market. It simply doesn’t exist. Apart from the fact that all institutions charge just over £3k, HEFCE teaching funding ranges from about £4000 to about £16,000 so it makes much more sense for an HEI to get an extra bum on a seat, than it does for them to charge marginally more in fees (even if they were allowed to) so once again, it’s not a market. The February research was essentially about perceptual differentials. <br /><br />Was our timing right or wrong? We questioned students just after they had started university while the selection process was still fresh in their minds. These people had come to the end of their university search and probably had a clearer idea of how their university / course stacked up against the competition than anyone. Sometimes speaking to applicants does make more sense but please remember that whoever you speak to when conducting this type of research there’ll be compromises. Parents do much of the funding but they aren’t the ones doing the in-depth research into courses, institutions, etc. Applicants are on a continual conveyor belt of choosing, rejecting, taking exams and then waiting to see if they’ve made the grade. When is the perfect time to speak to them? Whenever you choose to time your research, whichever sample you look at, there will be objections for certain quarters.<br /><br />But our research did show some important things – and I’m disappointed that they’re effectively glossed over by you. Most commentators have said that our work on pricing analysis in this area has been pioneering – we started just after the introduction of the £3k cap; is based on extremely good fieldwork (all respondents are reached within a few months of starting their university careers) and all respondents have verified their ‘ac.uk’ email address. Furthermore our research is based on absolutely massive sample sizes (36,000 interviews at the time of the February report; by next April the database will be closer to 60,000). And that means it’s robust and can be viewed at a very granular level. <br /><br />...continued on my next post directly below...Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-60745053269108738312010-09-27T09:46:43.808+01:002010-09-27T09:46:43.808+01:00Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledg...Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledged it’s limitations and I think your quote is taken out of context. Throughout our report (both the full version and the free summary) we emphasise that the focus is on differences in rejection levels rather than absolute numbers. Differences by institution, differences by subject area and differences by the students’ background. We don’t focus on absolute numbers because willingness to pay is, at present, determined by the cap. Currently it’s manifest that there is no fees market. It simply doesn’t exist. Apart from the fact that all institutions charge just over £3k, HEFCE teaching funding ranges from about £4000 to about £16,000 so it makes much more sense for an HEI to get an extra bum on a seat, than it does for them to charge marginally more in fees (even if they were allowed to) so once again, it’s not a market. The February research was essentially about perceptual differentials. <br /><br />Was our timing right or wrong? We questioned students just after they had started university while the selection process was still fresh in their minds. These people had come to the end of their university search and probably had a clearer idea of how their university / course stacked up against the competition than anyone. Sometimes speaking to applicants does make more sense but please remember that whoever you speak to when conducting this type of research there’ll be compromises. Parents do much of the funding but they aren’t the ones doing the in-depth research into courses, institutions, etc. Applicants are on a continual conveyor belt of choosing, rejecting, taking exams and then waiting to see if they’ve made the grade. When is the perfect time to speak to them? Whenever you choose to time your research, whichever sample you look at, there will be objections for certain quarters.<br /><br />But our research did show some important things – and I’m disappointed that they’re effectively glossed over by you. Most commentators have said that our work on pricing analysis in this area has been pioneering – we started just after the introduction of the £3k cap; is based on extremely good fieldwork (all respondents are reached within a few months of starting their university careers) and all respondents have verified their ‘ac.uk’ email address. Furthermore our research is based on absolutely massive sample sizes (36,000 interviews at the time of the February report; by next April the database will be closer to 60,000). And that means it’s robust and can be viewed at a very granular level. <br /><br />The point of our research was never to predict pricing but has always been to demonstrate differentials – as we state, “Each institution needs to determine its place in the market and price accordingly.” But we also pointed out – perhaps for the first time that, “...it was not the type of institution that was the most important driver of how much students were willing to pay for their degree, but subject area”, suggesting that differential fees by subject as well as institution are likely. Students taking subjects which command a high wage in the labour market are more willing to pay higher fees. Finally we acknowledged the key issues around social equality. “More able and socially advantaged students were, perhaps unsurprisingly, willing to pay higher fees. Institutions, therefore, need to be aware of the potentially adverse effect of raising fees for particular sub-groups of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even though these poorer students may be exempt from fees altogether, universities have an important role in explaining this fact to more disadvantaged students to prevent them from being discouraged from participating altogether or limiting the universities or courses they might consider due to the apparent high costs.” <br /><br />I hope this has been a useful clarification. Meanwhile I stand by our research and hope that you now see its merit.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-79232817531898335102010-09-27T09:36:35.068+01:002010-09-27T09:36:35.068+01:00Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledg...Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledged it’s limitations and I think your quote is taken out of context. Throughout our report (both the full version and the free summary) we emphasise that the focus is on differences in rejection levels rather than absolute numbers. Differences by institution, differences by subject area and differences by the students’ background. We don’t focus on absolute numbers because willingness to pay is, at present, determined by the cap. Currently it’s manifest that there is no fees market. It simply doesn’t exist. Apart from the fact that all institutions charge just over £3k, HEFCE teaching funding ranges from about £4000 to about £16,000 so it makes much more sense for an HEI to get an extra bum on a seat, than it does for them to charge marginally more in fees (even if they were allowed to) so once again, it’s not a market. The February research was essentially about perceptual differentials. <br /><br />Was our timing right or wrong? We questioned students just after they had started university while the selection process was still fresh in their minds. These people had come to the end of their university search and probably had a clearer idea of how their university / course stacked up against the competition than anyone. Sometimes speaking to applicants does make more sense but please remember that whoever you speak to when conducting this type of research there’ll be compromises. Parents do much of the funding but they aren’t the ones doing the in-depth research into courses, institutions, etc. Applicants are on a continual conveyor belt of choosing, rejecting, taking exams and then waiting to see if they’ve made the grade. When is the perfect time to speak to them? Whenever you choose to time your research, whichever sample you look at, there will be objections for certain quarters.<br /><br />But our research did show some important things – and I’m disappointed that they’re effectively glossed over by you. Most commentators have said that our work on pricing analysis in this area has been pioneering – we started just after the introduction of the £3k cap; is based on extremely good fieldwork (all respondents are reached within a few months of starting their university careers) and all respondents have verified their ‘ac.uk’ email address. Furthermore our research is based on absolutely massive sample sizes (36,000 interviews at the time of the February report; by next April the database will be closer to 60,000). And that means it’s robust and can be viewed at a very granular level. <br /><br />The point of our research was never to predict pricing but has always been to demonstrate differentials – as we state, “Each institution needs to determine its place in the market and price accordingly.” But we also pointed out – perhaps for the first time that, “...it was not the type of institution that was the most important driver of how much students were willing to pay for their degree, but subject area”, suggesting that differential fees by subject as well as institution are likely. Students taking subjects which command a high wage in the labour market are more willing to pay higher fees. Finally we acknowledged the key issues around social equality. “More able and socially advantaged students were, perhaps unsurprisingly, willing to pay higher fees. Institutions, therefore, need to be aware of the potentially adverse effect of raising fees for particular sub-groups of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even though these poorer students may be exempt from fees altogether, universities have an important role in explaining this fact to more disadvantaged students to prevent them from being discouraged from participating altogether or limiting the universities or courses they might consider due to the apparent high costs.” <br /><br />I hope this has been a useful clarification. Meanwhile I stand by our research and hope that you now see its merit.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-6805104118865073722010-09-27T09:34:25.064+01:002010-09-27T09:34:25.064+01:00Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledg...Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledged it’s limitations and I think your quote is taken out of context. Throughout our report (both the full version and the free summary) we emphasise that the focus is on differences in rejection levels rather than absolute numbers. Differences by institution, differences by subject area and differences by the students’ background. We don’t focus on absolute numbers because willingness to pay is, at present, determined by the cap. Currently it’s manifest that there is no fees market. It simply doesn’t exist. Apart from the fact that all institutions charge just over £3k, HEFCE teaching funding ranges from about £4000 to about £16,000 so it makes much more sense for an HEI to get an extra bum on a seat, than it does for them to charge marginally more in fees (even if they were allowed to) so once again, it’s not a market. The February research was essentially about perceptual differentials. <br /><br />Was our timing right or wrong? We questioned students just after they had started university while the selection process was still fresh in their minds. These people had come to the end of their university search and probably had a clearer idea of how their university / course stacked up against the competition than anyone. Sometimes speaking to applicants does make more sense but please remember that whoever you speak to when conducting this type of research there’ll be compromises. Parents do much of the funding but they aren’t the ones doing the in-depth research into courses, institutions, etc. Applicants are on a continual conveyor belt of choosing, rejecting, taking exams and then waiting to see if they’ve made the grade. When is the perfect time to speak to them? Whenever you choose to time your research, whichever sample you look at, there will be objections for certain quarters.<br /><br />But our research did show some important things – and I’m disappointed that they’re effectively glossed over by you. Most commentators have said that our work on pricing analysis in this area has been pioneering – we started just after the introduction of the £3k cap; is based on extremely good fieldwork (all respondents are reached within a few months of starting their university careers) and all respondents have verified their ‘ac.uk’ email address. Furthermore our research is based on absolutely massive sample sizes (36,000 interviews at the time of the February report; by next April the database will be closer to 60,000). And that means it’s robust and can be viewed at a very granular level. <br /><br />The point of our research was never to predict pricing but has always been to demonstrate differentials – as we state, “Each institution needs to determine its place in the market and price accordingly.” But we also pointed out – perhaps for the first time that, “...it was not the type of institution that was the most important driver of how much students were willing to pay for their degree, but subject area”, suggesting that differential fees by subject as well as institution are likely. Students taking subjects which command a high wage in the labour market are more willing to pay higher fees. Finally we acknowledged the key issues around social equality. “More able and socially advantaged students were, perhaps unsurprisingly, willing to pay higher fees. Institutions, therefore, need to be aware of the potentially adverse effect of raising fees for particular sub-groups of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even though these poorer students may be exempt from fees altogether, universities have an important role in explaining this fact to more disadvantaged students to prevent them from being discouraged from participating altogether or limiting the universities or courses they might consider due to the apparent high costs.” <br /><br />I hope this has been a useful clarification. Meanwhile I stand by our research and hope that you now see its merit.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-75329974840533177462010-09-24T17:38:03.073+01:002010-09-24T17:38:03.073+01:00Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledg...Nik, we tried to ensure that the report acknowledged it’s limitations and I think your quote is taken out of context. Throughout our report (both the full version and the free summary) we emphasise that the focus is on differences in rejection levels rather than absolute numbers. Differences by institution, differences by subject area and differences by the students’ background. We don’t focus on absolute numbers because willingness to pay is, at present, completely determined by the cap. Currently it’s manifest that there is no fees market. It simply doesn’t exist. Apart from the fact that all institutions charge just over £3k, HEFCE funding for each place ranges from about £4000 to about £16,000 so it makes much more sense for an HEI to get an extra bum on a seat, than it does for them to charge marginally more in fees (even if they were allowed to) so once again, it’s not a market. The February research was essentially about perceptual differentials. We questioned students just after they had started university while the selection process was still fresh in their minds. These people had come to the end of their university search and probably had a clearer idea of how their university / course stacked up against the competition than anyone. Sometimes speaking to applicants does make more sense but please remember that whoever you speak to when conducting research there’ll be compromises. Parents do much of the funding but they aren’t the ones doing the in-depth research into courses, institutions, etc. Applicants are on a continual conveyor belt of choosing, rejecting, taking exams and then waiting to see if they’ve made the grade. When is the perfect time to speak to them? Whenever you choose to time your research, whichever sample base you look at, there will be some objections. <br />But our research did show some important things – and I’m disappointed that they’re effectively glossed over by you. Most commentators have said that our work on pricing analysis in this area has been pioneering – we started just after the introduction of the £3k cap; is based on extremely good fieldwork (all respondents are reached within a few months of starting their university careers) and all respondents have verified their ‘ac.uk’ email address. Furthermore our research is based on absolutely massive sample sizes (36,000 interviews at the time of the February report; by next April the database will be closer to 60,000). And that means it’s robust and can be viewed at a very granular level. <br />The point of our research was never to predict pricing but has always been to demonstrate differentials – as we state, “Each institution needs to determine its place in the market and price accordingly.” But we also pointed out – perhaps for the first time – that “...it was not the type of institution that was the most important driver of how much students were willing to pay for their degree, but subject area, suggesting that differential fees by subject as well as institution are likely. Students taking subjects which command a high wage in the labour market are more willing to pay higher fees.” Finally we acknowledged the key issues around social equality. “More able and socially advantaged students were, perhaps unsurprisingly, willing to pay higher fees. Institutions, therefore, need to be aware of the potentially adverse effect of raising fees for particular sub-groups of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even though these poorer students may be exempt from fees altogether, universities have an important role in explaining this fact to more disadvantaged students to prevent them from being discouraged from participating altogether or limiting the universities or courses they might consider due to the apparent high costs.” <br />I hope this has been a useful clarification. Meanwhile I stand by our research and hope that you now see its merit:-) BenUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-9542888078993616082010-09-22T10:53:28.010+01:002010-09-22T10:53:28.010+01:00Hi Ben, pleased to respond. The research published...Hi Ben, pleased to respond. The research published in February, with Prof Vignoles, did raise valuable points about fees but myself and my colleagues at the time questioned some of the interpretation.<br /><br />The biggest issue is that the survey focuses on the price at which students reject paying for degrees. Rejection was seen as a close proxy to demand, which isn't true. The conclusion that "if tuition fees were increased to £6,000, then approximately 60 per cent of students would reject a course" cannot be interpreted as "because 60 per cent say no, 40 per cent would say yes".<br /><br />In our own research, we found that where 50% of students indicated that a certain degree price was too expensive, only 10% felt it was acceptable, so there's a big difference in the price at which people say they certainly will & won't buy something. Just because I definitely wouldn't buy a new television for £3,000 does not mean I definitely would for £2,900.<br /><br />Also, the survey questioned existing students, something that the latest research has corrected. It was no surprise that the least-rejected price in the former survey was the current capped tuition fee level of £3,000 (approx). This accounts for the counter-intuitive discovery that more students would pay £3,000 than £2,900. While price is in some cases an indicator of quality, demand for top-quality degrees wouldn't fall if the price fell.<br /><br />All in all, we believed that the survey published in February inflated willingness to pay. As it happens, it wasn't anything like what the NUS puts forward, with very questionable methodology telling us that student demand would collapse if fees went up at all. While we endorsed your findings that students would be willing to pay higher fees, we did feel that there were significant limitations in how it could be interpreted. There was nothing wrong with the research itself, but we didn't think that the conclusions made could entirely be drawn from it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05116092118768607000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-50668783041522420082010-09-22T09:23:48.255+01:002010-09-22T09:23:48.255+01:00Hi Nik, a lively article. And glad you rate the wo...Hi Nik, a lively article. And glad you rate the work with did with Leicester. But I'd like to know more about our "chequered history in this area, having been guilty of a poorly executed bit of pricing analysis at the beginning of this year." How so? The work was conducted with Anna Vignoles, Professor of Economics of Education at the IoE and quite carefully constructed. It used a very large sample and the caveats and limitations of the analysis were, I thought, clearly set out. Ben Marks, Managing Director, OpinionpanelUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477845906481025311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498991095356433920.post-1849050289398510092010-09-21T16:01:50.980+01:002010-09-21T16:01:50.980+01:00I'm enjoying your articles on HE funding, and ...I'm enjoying your articles on HE funding, and it is good to have someone who is informed blogging about itjmedwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05736730025509464825noreply@blogger.com