§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied that an increase of 46 per cent. in fees will not discourage students from continuing or entering the Open University; and what he anticipates the increases will be in the next academic year.
§ Dr. BoysonAlthough tuition fees were increased by 46 per cent. in 1981, over half of the increase can be attributed to increased costs at the Open University; the increase in real terms was some 22 per cent. This amounted to a reduction in the subsidy to students of about 2½ per cent. to 87 per cent. as a contribution to the planned savings in public expenditure.
Provisional information for 1981 suggests that the fee increase led to a slightly higher drop out among new and continuing students. Applications to date for 1982 show an increase over those for 1981 and as in previous years are almost double the number of places available. There are however signs of an increase in the proportion declining offers of places.