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Posted April 15, 2013

Situation for Postgrad Education in the UK Worsens

It’s not just undergraduates that have had to deal with the harsh reality of rising course costs this academic year, postgraduates have also been faced with an 11% increase of fees.

As the funding crisis worsens across British universities, the question begs ‘what does the future hold for postgraduates?’

Speaking Out

Universities such as Queen Mary, Cardiff and Exeter have all spoken out against the lack of funding, expressing their concerns that higher fees coupled with a fall in research scholarship and grants will subsequently result in fewer students considering postgraduate study as a viable option.
 

In the academic year of 2010 - 2011 the negative impact of rising fees really started to show when the number of postgraduates choosing to apply for their MA or PhD fell by a whopping 8,000.
 

The University of Oxford stated that they don’t expect fee rises to stop any time soon, and have told students to anticipate fees going up with each passing year. However, the good news is that there are always scholarships available to help. With an average of 62% of postgraduate research students receiving a full scholarship to aid their studies, all hope is not lost.
 

Lack of personal means should not be a factor in the pursuit of education, and if the postgraduate system is going to dig itself out of this rabbit hole, a better provision for postgraduate funding is a necessity. This ongoing crisis is unfortunately putting the UK at a competitive disadvantage to its international peers, as a huge number of potential postgraduate students, including some of the brightest minds to date, are unable to enrol.
 

Oxford's 100 Million Pound Campaign

The country is in desperate need of a national solution.

OUSU have been lobbying for a number of years in an attempt to increase funding for postgraduates attending Oxford, and last term saw the creation of a £100m campaign by the University where all money raised will go directly towards improving the situation.
 

For those of you not applying to Oxford, fear not! Your concerns about lack of funding are being heard, and thankfully are being acted upon. Speaking up about the need for support during your postgraduate studies is essential so don’t be afraid to make your voice heard.
 

As more and more institutions begin to recognise this pressing problem, answers will come. The intellect and innovation of postgraduates is what will drive the success of our evolving economy.
 

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