Tuition fee increases to affect international and postgraduate students

The University of Warwick has agreed to further fee increases, which will affect mainly international, exchange and postgraduate students.

The University approved fee level changes on 29 April 2013, which will be implemented in the 2014-15 academic year.

The main increase is an arbitrary 4.5 percent rise, and will be applied to overseas undergraduates and all postgraduate students.

This may distress postgraduates who have already been the focus of recent fee increases, including the 18 percent increase to certain postgraduate-taught courses two years ago.

The largest rise affects exchange programmes where an overseas student is taking a substituted year out, and could discover an increase of up to 218 percent of the fee levels in 2013-14.

The Students’ Union (SU) claims in a statement that this threatens the principles that Warwick University outlined in their Vision 2015 strategy and their aims for “international diversity”.

SU education officer, James Entwistle, commented: “This increase is insane. Over the last year in higher education we have seen a collapse in confidence in the UK being a top destination for international students; raising the price in this environment shows gross economic illiteracy.”

Anna Blackaby, University of Warwick international press officer, told the Boar: “The University of Warwick is not seeing a drop-off in demand from international students – in fact applications have been sustained for both 2012 and 2013 entry.

“The fee increase of 4.5 percent takes into account the recent high rates of inflation. Despite this, our international student fees are comparable to other similar universities and indeed are lower than many Russell Group institutions.”

The rises will also affect students looking to receive international education by taking a year abroad, for example, home and EU students on the Erasmus scheme will be charged £1,350 in 2014-15 when there are no fees currently charged.

Warwick SU compiled a paper containing proposals for the Fees Working Group, which is the body that made the final proposals.

There is currently no student representation on this board, and the SU claims that their four main proposals were rejected without the opportunity for discussion.

Welfare and campaigns officer and president-elect Ben Sundell said: “We were very disappointed by the lack of representation the SU had in the fees setting process.

“Whilst we submitted an initial proposal this in reality gave little opportunity to engage, debate and represent student views on the negative impacts this will have.”

Ms Blackaby however contested this: “Regarding representation of the SU in the fees setting process, the paper submitted by the Union was carefully considered at the Fees Working Group meeting.

“This working group reports into the Steering Committee, on which the  Student Union is represented, giving further opportunity for the Student Union to have their input. It is the Steering Committee which has final decision-making power.”

Postgraduate officer Anna Chowcat said: “The changes will have a hugely damaging impact on postgraduate students.

“The increase in postgraduate-taught fees is unacceptable at a time of severely limited financial support for postgraduates. The increase in research student extension fees is also worrying as many of these students are in, often financially, vulnerable situations.”

Ms Blackaby added: “It is also important to remember that any surplus generated by the University is reinvested into the university.

“The last year has seen many investments that further enhance the student experience, for example the Learning Grids in Rootes and in Leamington Spa.”