Abstract:

CentrePiece article
Higher education funding reforms in England
Ghazala Azmat and Stefania Simion
July 2018
Paper No' CEPCP536:
Full Paper

CentrePiece 23 (2) Summer 2018

JEL Classification: I22; I23; I29; J30

Tags: higher education; tuition fees; means-tested support; career choices; career outcomes

Reforms in higher education funding, which have taken England from offering free-of-charge, full-time undergraduate studies to being one of the most expensive systems in the OECD, have led to a reduction in the participation gap among those entering university from higher and lower socio-economic groups. Returning to free higher education would not enhance equity: students are still disproportionately from high-income households.

This article summarises ‘Higher Education Funding Reforms: A Comprehensive Analysis of Educational and Labour Market Outcomes in England’ by Ghazala Azmat and Stefania Simion, CEP Discussion Paper No. 1529, February 2018.