25 Feb Two-year university degrees could soon be a reality
The government last week tabled amendments to the Higher Education and Research Bill to encourage more flexible learning and increased choice for students.
These include a key amendment to enable universities to offer more accelerated courses, including 2-year courses, where content is condensed into a shorter period.
This amendment would enable a higher annual fee limit to be set for accelerated courses. This amendment responds to evidence which shows that inflexible fee structures are seen as a major barrier to the availability of accelerated courses, with many universities unable to deliver their traditional 3-year courses in two years because of the existing limit on annual fees.
Jo Johnson, the Minister for Universities and Science, said:
“Change is long overdue and this bill gives us the chance to introduce new ways of learning. Students are crying out for more flexible courses that enable them to get into and back into work more quickly, and courses that equip them with the skills that the modern workplace needs.”
This delivers on a manifesto commitment to encourage universities to offer more 2-year courses and extends the opportunity to study at England’s world-class universities to even more people.
Jasper Saunders an Essex based student told us “For me if this means being able to complete my degree quicker and with less debts it will allow me to get into work quickly and this becomes a very important issue in my future planning and settling down”.
The government intends to consult on the detail of how to deliver higher annual fee limits for accelerated courses ahead of tabling secondary legislation. The proposals will include clear measures to ensure the limit would only apply to accelerated courses.
