§ Sir Cranley OnslowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the saving to public funds that could be achieved by a reduction to two years in the time taken for first-degree arts courses at universities in England and Wales.
§ Mr. BoswellAverage public funding per student through Funding Council grant, mandatory awards and student loans for a funded student place on a classroom-based course in 1993–94 is around £5,000. If all such courses were of the conventional length of three years full time, a reduction to two years would lead to recurrent savings of some £560 million in 1993–94 prices when the change was fully implemented.
If the length of first degree courses were reduced with no corresponding increase in the amount of teaching per year, curriculum coverage would be reduced. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is funding a pilot scheme of accelerated degree courses, which provide for more intensive teaching over two years. Direct comparisons with the costs of conventional three year degrees are not possible since the pilot courses attract special funding from the HEFCE and students are eligible for additional maintenance payments. The Government believe that such accelerated courses are likely to appeal mainly to some mature students.