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Church colleges charge less

by
20 July 2011

by Margaret Holness Education Correspondent

THE average annual fee for undergraduate study at church-based higher education institutions (HEIs) will be about £400 lower than the average for the sector, a new Cathedrals Group paper, analysing data from the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), reports.

The data shows that the average fee for Cathedrals Group universities and university colleges is £8128, compared with £8521 for the sector as a whole. Group members are also planning to spend more than £25 million between them on measures to widen access to higher education; more than £11 million is earmarked for fee waivers.

When such waivers and other financial support are taken into account, the average cost to students at Cathedrals Group HEIs falls to £7664, against a sector average of £7920. The actual fees at member institutions will range from £7201 to £8703, the paper says.

The chairman of the Cathedrals Group, Professor Tim Wheeler, Vice-chancellor of Chester University, said that, although they would be largely dependent on fee income, as church foundations, the Group’s members were committed to social justice.

“They are mindful of the impact on students of changing from a system where the state pays most of the cost of undergraduate education to one where individuals will be meeting their own study and living costs, and repaying large loans later in life.

“I am pleased that the OFFA data shows that, by juggling our pri­orities, we are charging lower-than-average fees, and providing relatively more generous support for our students,” he said.

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