This post first published: 10 April 2017
In the last issue of Exchange, we told you about some of the changes to student finance in academic year 2017/18, and touched on the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Here, we look at the framework in more detail and what it will mean for students, as well as the higher education providers who qualify.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) was introduced in 2016 with the aim to ‘recognise and reward excellent learning and teaching’ and will allow the government to monitor and assess the quality of teaching in England’s universities.
The government says the framework is designed to ensure all students receive an ‘excellent teaching experience that encourages original thinking, drives up engagement and prepares them for the world of work’. It’s intended to help students choose where to study by providing clear information about teaching provisions.
In September last year, the Department for Education (DfE) published its ‘Teaching Excellence Framework: year two specification’, which set out the assessment framework and detailed the criteria, evidence and process for the TEF in the second year. The publication also provided information for higher education providers on how to participate, with the outcomes due to be published in May 2017.
Tuition Fee Loans
Universities and colleges with a successful TEF award will now be able to increase fees for full-time courses in line with inflation. For 2017/18, this means maximum fees will be up to £9,250 a year. The changes apply to courses starting from September 2017, and may apply to existing students who started after 1 September 2012.
Universities or colleges who don’t have a TEF award will have either opted out or not passed the quality criteria.
Despite the rise in tuition fees, students shouldn’t worry – most eligible students won’t have to pay any tuition fees up front and can apply for student finance to cover their costs.
