§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of Open University students have applied to pay their fees by instalment in each of the years since 1980.
§ Mr. BrookeThe information requested is as follows:
Requests for instalment payments in respect of: 1980 1981 1982 1983 per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. 1. Under graduates Initial registration fee 27.9 16.7 50.7 40.8 Final registration fee 6.9 11.1 23.3 46.2 Course tuition fee 20.6 32.7 38.6 48.4 Summer school fee 6.5 9.4 17.5 20.4 2. Associate students Initial registration fee * * 56.8 50.6 Final registration fee * * 4.8 6.9 * The facility for paying by instalments was not made available to Associate Students before 1982. No student who applied to pay by instalments was refused.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications for financial assistance have been made, in each of the last five years for which statistics are available, by Open University students to the university financial assistance fund.
§ Mr. BrookeThis information is not immediately available. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost of an Open University ordinary degree in each of the last five years for which statistics are available.
§ Mr. BrookeThe cost to the student of gaining an Open University ordinary degree is composed of three elements: tuition fees, summer school fees, and ancillary costs such as books and travel. While tuition and summer school fees are known exactly, ancillary costs can only be estimated. Assuming that on average an Open University ordinary degree student attends four summer schools, the best estimate of the total cost of taking the six credits required to complete a degree course, at the prices prevailing in each year, is
430W
£ 1979 864 1980 1,010 1981 1,278 1982 1,454 1983 1,552