DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (063/2008) issued
by COI News Distribution Service. 17 October 2008
Students will
deliver their recommendations for improving the student experience
to the heart of government as Maeve Sherlock, Chair of the
National Student Forum (NSF) will present their recommendations to
the new Minister for Students Lord Tony Young today.
The first NSF report focuses on a number of themes, including
Student Finance and Information Advice and Guidance (IAG).
The Forum felt that given the huge variety in courses and
colleges, all students need access to good information and advice
to enable them to make the right choices about where and what to
study. Visiting an institution can make all the difference to a
choice and students should not be deterred from doing so before
applying on grounds of cost.
Key recommendations for IAG include:
* Develop a first port of call portal to gather in one place the
routes to different kinds of online information;
* Define and introduce best practice guidelines for pre-entry
information provided by universities and colleges;
* Introduce an entitlement for all students in receipt of an
Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) to receive a grant to
visit at least two universities or colleges; and
* Ensure high-quality careers advice by professionalising and
raising the profile of school and college advisors.
The Forum thought it was essential that students should feel
supported and fully informed when undertaking the significant
financial commitment that entering higher education entails.
Recommendations for Student Finance include:
* Introduce a choice of loan instalment options;
* Employ
transparency over tuition fee income and allocations; and
*
Raise awareness of student financial advisory services.
Maeve Sherlock, Chair of the NSF:
"It has been a privilege to work alongside fellow students
in our first year as members of the National Student Forum. This
report offers our views on some of the key issues facing British
students today. I hope it will be of interest to ministers and
policymakers, universities, colleges and students alike.
"We started on the key themes of deciding what and where to
study, how to pay for it and how to get advice on what to do next.
However there is still much more to do. We are looking forward to
a second year in which we can develop our thinking in new areas
and in considering particular aspects of our work in more detail.
"I am delighted that ministers have shown such interest in
hearing the views and experiences of students directly. We look
forward to the Government's response to our recommendations
and to continuing to work together to improve the experience of
students in higher education, in all their diversity."
Receiving the report, Minister for Students Lord Young said:
"It is essential to listen to the views of students when
considering improvements to the higher education sector, so I am
delighted to receive this report. I would also like to take this
opportunity to thank Maeve and the forum for all the time they
have given up in order to discuss and report back on the issues
that are important to them.
"When this independent forum was set up earlier this year,
Government made a commitment to respond fully to the report and I
look forward to doing so in the near future."
NUS President Wes Streeting said:
"We welcome this report, which contains many useful points
for discussion, particularly on issues such as information, advice
and guidance. The students on the forum have clearly laid out
their expectations, and it will be interesting to monitor the
progress made against these statements in future NSF reports.
"NUS is pleased to have contributed to the NSF, and as the
representative voice for students we look forward to working with
the Government in order to find solutions to the issues raised."
The forum also formed sub-groups to look at improving the
experience of international, postgraduate and disabled students.
The forum will go on and develop these themes further in the next year.
Notes to Editors
1. For a full copy of the report please go to http://www.dius.gov.uk/policy/nsf/
2. The Forum is part of the wider Student Listening Programme and
has been developed in partnership with the National Union of
Students, the National Postgraduate Committee, the Mature
Students' Union, the Open University Students'
Association, Skill - the national bureau for students with
disabilities and the British Council. Each of these organisations
has worked closely with DIUS to nominate students to be Forum
members. And they have worked very closely with DIUS to ensure
that the Forum accurately represents the diversity of our student population.
3. The Student Listening Programme ensures students are able to
make their views and ideas heard with Ministers responding to
specific issues raised. In addition to the National Student Forum,
the Listening Programme includes,
* Ministerial visits to university campuses across England with
Ministers meeting students face-to-face to hear their experiences
first-hand; and
* Five 'student juries' made up of students from across
the country held in early 2008 looking at high profile issues that
matter to them such as student finance, widening participation and
learning support.