A better deal for part-time students

"Educating Rita - a model to address inadequate state support for part-time students" (PDF)

Authors: Anna Fazackerley, Professor Claire Callendar, Julian Chant and David Wilkinson

Publication date: 18 August 2009

The report calls for a better financial settlement for the third of undergraduates who are part-time students. The authors are critical of the fact that part-time students have to pay their fees upfront and 90% receive no financial help from the Government in contrast to full-time students. The report makes the point that if part-time students did receive some financial support then some full-time students might be persuaded to go part-time and have a job as well thus helping the economy. The report recommends bringing part-time students' eligibility for a partial tuition fee grant into line with full-time students and syphoning off funding from the Government's £150million University Challenge scheme.