Will postgrad fees be affected along with the increase in undergrad tuition fees?

I’m afraid I’m a bit in the dark with this, but I was wondering whether postgraduate fees would be considerably more expensive from 2012 onwards. I don’t think I’ve heard anything specific, and presumably universities won’t set fees until admissions open for 2012. Still, does anyone have any information?

I’m really hoping I might still have a shot at doing a masters!

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Reply 1

*Corinna*

Ah, I wonder about the same thing. People tend to think that eventually they will but perhaps not as early as in 2012. God, I really really hope thats the case

Reply 2

Rlemkin

I can see program co-ordinators thinking that they can quite reasonably up the price. Afterall won't £8,000 look like a bargain compared to £9,000 :wink:

. Sadly I think it's inevitable.

Reply 3

Baula

Original post by Renegade Dagger

I mentioned this in another thread :tongue:

My boyfriend had the same concerns about doing a masters. He mentioned to one of his lecturers that he was applying this year instead of next year before the price increased and they replied that the cost would be the same as now. Their reason for this was that many postgrad courses are funded by students anyway so there's no need to raise them significantly. (Sheffield Hallam)

I also mentioned this in a seminar on Friday at Huddersfield and the tutor didn't contradict this.

That said, I believe the fee for teacher training is being increased because of the dropped funding. I haven't done much research into that though as I'm in first year atm :tongue:

Reply 4

Baula

Original post by danielj315

I can see program co-ordinators thinking that they can quite reasonably up the price. Afterall won't £8,000 look like a bargain compared to £9,000 :wink:

. Sadly I think it's inevitable.

I thought it was 4000 now for masters? :/

Reply 5

beefmaster

Original post by Baula

I thought it was 4000 now for masters? :/

It depends completely on where you go / what course you do.

Reply 6

Baula

Original post by beefmaster

It depends completely on where you go / what course you do.

ah ok I've been looking at English related ones and they've all been around £4000 :tongue:

I got worried there for a second haha

Reply 7

Renegade Dagger

Original post by Baula

I mentioned this in another thread :tongue:

That's really interesting to know, thanks.

I'm hoping that logic will still stand. I guess it's just a case of waiting for news...? Though I'm kind of regretting not applying for this autumn.

Reply 8

*Corinna*

However, some universities have already raised them significantly. For example, kings raised it by almost 1000 pounds, and UCL for almost 2000 for my course (classics)

Reply 9

beefmaster

Original post by Baula

ah ok I've been looking at English related ones and they've all been around £4000 :tongue:

I got worried there for a second haha

Lucky your not going for finance at LSE 20k!

Reply 10

Baula

Original post by beefmaster

Lucky your not going for finance at LSE 20k!

Seriously?! :eek:

I didn't realise they charged that much! I thought it was just the international fees that were around 10k :frown:

My excuse is that I'm a first year . . I'm sure I'll be more clued up by the time I can apply :colondollar:

Reply 11

Ice_Queen

My university are raising theirs simply because they think a PG should be more expensive than an UG. No details as of yet.

It will vary significantly, I imagine. Nothing is set in stone for 2012.

Reply 12

evantej

The thing is, universities cannot increase their tuition fees without the system's support; that is, it is pointless setting your fees at £9000 or more if no one can actually afford to pay that or borrow the money to pay that. I cannot imagine banks increasing their career development loans to £15,000. This means that tuition fees for postgraduate programmes will simply increase with inflation. I guess by 2012, £5000 will be the average point. Some universities will exceed it (and some already do), but most will try to keep below it like the did with £4000 for a few years.

Reply 13

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by evantej

I had presumed this would be the case. But I was discussing this issue in a university today, with someone involved in these sort of decisions. They asked what logic there was in a university charging £9kpa for an undergrad course and £3-4kpa for a Masters degree. If the undergrad fee is taken to be an indicator of value, then how can a higher level, more selective Masters degree (for those that are) charge less than that?

Reply 14

Natsworthy

I was also wondering about this as I plan to take a masters after my undergrad is polished off. I anticipate an increase in fees as has been mentioned. I just hope it isn't a huge increase but there is plenty of time to tailor my choice to a place that is economically viable for me (without mentioning other variables) so no lost sleep over it. Yet.

It's a while before it's time to even thinking about applying so my mind will probably change, not to mention the climate. :P

Reply 15

evantej

Original post by threeportdrift

The problem with university staff is that they are a little out of touch with reality; most do not honestly care about student finances so long as there is a steady stream of students, especially older lecturers who went through a different system. It is well and good suggesting the oddity of cheaper postgraduate study relative to the new undergraduate tuition fees, and notice how none suggest limiting undergraduate fees, but the reality is that if universities raise their fees above the rate of inflation they will kill their market.

The number of potential postgraduates will drop with the introduction of higher tuition fees at undergraduate level anyway (in my opinion), and by introducing higher fees too quickly at postgraduate level students will simply be unable to afford further study; that is, between now and when the 2012 students graduate. I am not naïve enough to think that universities will not eventually increase fees, but they need to stagger the increase so the system can compensate and support students, for example, by offering larger career development loans. The Browne Report made no statement on postgraduate fees (realistically) so the universities are on their own in this one.

I actually think the increased undergraduate fees spell the end of affordable postgraduate study, and most universities have their hands tied by their charitable status. As absurd as it sounds (because I do not see the government doing anything about it), one option might have been to offer postgraduate students affordable finance to study; that is, the student pays a deposit, studies full- or part-time and then pays the university back over time. Given the frequent movement between universities at postgraduate level, alumni discounts just do not work as a marketing tool any more when students cannot finance their studies.

Reply 16

username181178

This is definitely something that I've been a bit worried about; I graduate from my BA in 2012 and want to start an MA right after.
However, if the price goes up to anything much more than £5000, I don't think I'd be able to do it.

As others have suggested, I hope it is more of a staggered increase, rather than increasing it dramatically. *Sigh*
Guess we'll all just have to wait and see.

Reply 17

Apollonia

If MA tuition fees are raised, you can always do your MA in a country where there are no tuition fees at all...that is if you really do want to do PG studies.

Reply 18

wactm

I hope the MBA at warwick doesnt go up. 26k is pretty extortionate already.

Reply 19

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by evantej

You presume I was talking to an academic. I wasn't, I was talking to someone involved in postgrad recruitment at a leading UK university. It wasn't anything like a decision or policy, they were just offering up a point. But for universities that are vastly oversubscribed at postgrad level, what part should market forces play? Who decides how vital a postgrad degree is to a career path? Can some postgrad degrees be subsidised and not others in an institution, or across all institutions?