Leader predicts boom in college degree courses

Barnsley College principal Colin Booth said the further education (FE) sector would be able to offer the same courses as universities but for “nearly half the price”.

Currently less than 10 per cent of higher education courses are run by FE colleges, but this looks certain to rise as Ministers look to control the soaring costs of degrees.

Mr Booth’s comments come as college chiefs around the region confirmed they planned to expand their higher education courses from next year when the Government makes 20,000 student places available to providers who can run courses for less than £7,500 a year.

Barnsley, Bradford, Doncaster and Sheffield College have all confirmed they are interested in bidding for a share of these places.

Proposals are expected to be announced next month by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) which will set out how these 20,000 places, which will be taken out of the existing university system, will be awarded.

The move is expected to allow FE colleges and private providers to undercut established universities.

Critics say it has been driven by the Government’s need to bring down the cost of tuition fees which it will have to cover with loans.

When the cap on fees for 2012-13 was trebled to £9,000 ministers expected the average degree to cost around £7,500 a year, but the majority of universities have announced plans to charge the maximum amount.

Now the Government is ring-fencing 20,000 places for providers who can run courses for fees of less than £7,500. No university in Yorkshire is planning to charge less than this. Huddersfield has set the lowest university fee at £7,950.

The Government tuition fee reforms also include plans to allow universities to recruit unlimited numbers of students who achieved two As and a B at A-level or better.

This will allow the country’s best universities to expand.

In an exclusive interview with the Yorkshire Post Mr Booth said: “Along with the changes in tuition fees, the Government is also changing the stranglehold universities have on degree awarding powers and more will join them over the next few years. Local further education colleges will for the first time to be able to compete for students on a level playing field delivering high quality taught degrees at a competitive price.

“It is likely that FE colleges across England will offer the same courses, with the same content but for nearly half the price compared to universities.

“Couple this with the opportunity for study locally and stay at home and the costs of a degree start to tumble.

“FE colleges will not only provide a cheaper high quality alternative to universities. College-based courses will be more flexible, including opportunities to study part time over a number of years for students wishing to combine work and completing a degree.

“Young people need now more than ever to weigh up the growing options available to them in respect to how and where to study for a degree.

“The single biggest benefit from the changes is that higher education for the first time will be driven by the consumer and not by institutions.

“Students should and will be able to demand value for money and shop around for the best deals available. It will be for students to decided whether £9,000 a year to study at a university course is their best option or whether studying for a degree while working or attending full time at their local FE college is a better choice.”

Barnsley College is considering recruiting international students onto higher education courses and exploring whether it could run degree qualifications in mining.

Bradford College is currently the largest provider of higher education courses in the country’s FE sector. It has 3,000 students in higher education including 500 trainee teachers.

Its principal Michele Sutton said they were interested in expanding its provision once 20,000 places become available.

It has set its planned fee for 2012 at £6,700.

She told the Yorkshire Post that the college was interested in expanding in opthalmics, accountancy and business studies.

She added: “What we need to be doing is looking at different modes of learning such as allowing people to study for a degree over two years.”

The executive director for planning and performance at Sheffield College, Bill Jones, said it was interesting in expanding the number of higher education courses it runs in science and business.

The college currently has 150 full-time and 350 part-time higher education students but will be submitting a bid for a share of the 20,000 places.

Mr Jones said: “There has been a huge demand in terms for higher education courses but we have not been able to expand because until now there has been a freeze on numbers.”

The college’s fees for foundation degrees and HNDs will be £5,900-a-year. Students then have the option of transferring to a university to complete a degree.

Dr Dave Collins deputy director of the University Centre, Doncaster – part of the town’s college – also confirmed plans to expand the number of degrees it offers.

“We currently provide around 40 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses validated by the Universities of Hull and Wales,” he said.

“As an institution we will be charging £6,000 fees from 2012.

“We are indeed hoping to bid for additional students to expand our provision, but waiting to see more flesh on the bones with respect to evidencing the criteria of demand, quality, and value for money.”