What is the biggest challenge that the Minister for HE Students has to overcome?

Do something to address the appalling drop-out rate (22%) among university students and the horrendous waste of taxpayers money and resources that results from it.

Stop encouraging people to uni who aren’t capable or un-suited via Mickey Mouse courses.

How does that address the problem that Howard brought up though as people drop out from all courses not just those labled 'micky mouse degrees'.

True, but i suspect the drop out rate is higher. The main problem is people being pushed to go to uni who either can’t afford it, aren’t suited to it or simply aren’t capable. This is the governments, and there 50% in uni target, fault.

But sure if these 'micky mouse' subjects are so much easier than other degrees then people wouldn't be failing them as much as others which are considered 'harder'?

That's not necessarily true. I bet the dropout rate for PPE at Oxford is much lower than the dropout rate for media studies at Bolton. Harder courses attract much brighter students.

Anyway, 22% is the overall percent that drops out and it's been that way for the last 5 years. Some universities do much worse than that (I've already mentioned Bolton) and this must represent hundreds of millions in losses to the taxpayer each year. If I were HE Minister I'd be thinking about tackling this as my # 1 priority.

I really don't see how dropping out is a waste of taxpayers money: you still have to pay the loan back even if you don't complete the course, so where is the money wasted?

It's not just the course fees is it dear?

A 22% dropout rate is certainly cause for concern. I never knew it was so high

For full time, first degree (ie not HND/foundation degree/diploma students) who are under 21 when starting their course the UK figure is 7.1% who are no longer in HE a year after starting their course (source)- and around a quarter of those students are back in HE a year later (ie they take a break and start again/go back to their course). The true "drop out" rate is actually around 5%.

Course if you start looking at mature, part time and HND students then the numbers go up to 10-15%.

The 22% is the proportion from Bolton who drop out OR transfer - it isn't the UK figure.

sources and more stats than you can shake a calculator at (the new lot of data is due out on Thursday )