Brussels, 23/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - When balanced with student support, increased tuition fees do not have an overall negative impact on enrolments in higher education. However increases in fees can result in falling enrolments among older students, according to an international study released by the European Commission on Monday 23 June. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education explained: “Student fees are a reality for a large proportion of students in Europe - and a controversial issue. This study questions some common assumptions and provides valuable evidence for the on-going debate in the EU on how best to fund higher education”.
The study is part of the follow up given to the modernisation programme of European higher education systems, adopted by the European Commission in September 2011 (see EUROPE 10456). It points out that the: 1) fee rises do not generally have detectable negative effects on overall enrolment in higher education or on enrolment among students from lower socio-economic groups; 2) but rises in tuition fees can have negative effects on enrolments of older students; 3) study aid - grants and/or loans - is crucial for offsetting negative consequences of fees or fee rises on participation, particularly of vulnerable groups; 4) for higher education institutions, introducing tuition fees usually increases their total amount of resources; however, new income from fees is not always invested in ways that directly improves the student experience (such as additional teaching posts); 5) tuition fees do not seem to make public university systems more responsive to changing demand (for example, by developing new curricula). (IL)