Talk – Where did it go wrong for the English fee-loan regime? (KCL, Wed 28 March)
Where did it go wrong for the English fee-loan regime?
King’s College London
Wednesday 28th March 2018 17.00 – 18.30
Venue: Bush House
Room: NE -1.01
Abstract
Introduced as part of the Coalition government’s austerity programme, “post-2012” undergraduate fees were given a more substantive rationale when student numbers controls were lifted from universities in 2015. The shift to loans was presented as central to ending the rationing of full-time places for Home and EU students and the new regime was trumpeted as a triumph of secure, sustainable funding.
Just three years later and terms on loans have been changed twice, before even two full years of graduate repayments have come in. Now the government has announced a major review, backed by an independent expert panel.
This talk will outline what’s going on in terms of the politics, the finances and the accounting and set out the likely implications for undergraduate teaching for 2019 onwards.
Critical Education 
Is it necessary to register to attend? If so, can you provide a link please?
No. It’s free too.
I think most changes will have to wait for September 2020. The review is not due to finish until Spring 2019. Tuition fees caps for 19/20 have to be announced by Autumn 2018 at the very latest (and so could well be frozen at current levels again). Interest rates for post-2012 loans to apply from September 2018 will be confirmed in August 2018 (and the March RPI which is likely to push up the maximum rate to around 7% will be known next month).