University bosses in Preston have hit back at claims their students “don’t get value for money”.
According to the new Student Union president at the University of Central Lancashire, Edd Graham-Hynde, the rise in tuition fees and increased cost of living were combining to price some students out of higher education in Preston.
The 22-year-old said: “I don’t think the new charge represents good value for money.”
“Raising fees will definitely have put prospective students off from applying to university.”
Edd, who graduated last summer with a BA in religion, culture and society, said mounting student debt and worries about finding a job were putting young people under increasing pressure to give university a miss and go straight into employment.
He added: “Increasing student debt is a massively growing concern.”
Professor Dave Phoenix, UCLan’s deputy vice-chancellor, said:“Government policy on higher education has been determined and we are working within it. Whilst there are aspects of that policy that continue to cause concern it has also created opportunities.
“We have approached this new environment positively and are now focusing on the future rather than wishing for a return to the past.”
He added: “We have worked hard to ensure cost is not a barrier to students that want access to high calibre research informed higher education and have put in place a range of financial support packages for students from low income families.
“In the autumn of 2012 we launched the UCLan Advantage: a package of benefits for students based on the principle of ‘more for more’ including, for example, access to international experience as part of their programme of study.
“We believe this will be of significant benefit to students from a range of backgrounds who are looking for a combination of academic excellence combined with innovation, research-informed teaching and real-world practicality.”
“We are currently analysing our recruitment data for 2012 but we still have over five applications for every place and will have enrolled around 4,000 new entrants with significant increases in the number of high achievers in the AAB+ category.”
Comments