Evidence submitted by the National Union
of Students (WP 88)
ABOUT NUS
1. NUS (National Union of Students) is a
voluntary membership organisation comprising a confederation of
affiliated local student representative organisations in colleges
and universities throughout the United Kingdom. The organisation
has nearly 750 constituent members—virtually every college
and university in the UK—and represents the interests of
around five million students. It provides research, representation,
campaign work, training and expert advice for individual students
and students' unions.
SUMMARY
2. Healthcare students are reporting significant
problems with the administration of NHS bursaries. Most worrying
is that the delays in paying out bursaries are causing considerable
financial hardship to students. This could help explain the high
drop out rate amongst healthcare students.
3. NUS proposes that this has clear implications
for workforce planning in terms of recruitment from within the
UK.
ADMINISTRATION OF
BURSARIES
Background
4. NUS has been working with NASMA (National
Association of Student Money Advisors) to research problems with
NHS bursaries reported to us by healthcare students.
5. NASMA conducted a survey amongst these
students, and the results reveal that the administration of the
NHS Student Grants Unit is "woefully inadequate" and
that students are experiencing unprecedented problems in receiving
their NHS bursaries. Particular problems have included delays
in payment; problems with dependants allowance; and lack of communication
from the Students Grants Unit.
Delays
6. Students have faced significant delays
in receiving their bursary payments, with some students having
to wait as late as December before getting their money. This is
despite getting their paperwork in on time and starting their
course in September. The NASMA survey revealed particular problems
that have contributed to these delays.
— Administration—It can take
up to a week to get a student's file from the records room —which
is in the same building—to begin resolving a problem. Universities
and students have consistently reported that they have had to
send in the same forms over and over again, clearly indicating
a problem with paperwork routinely going missing.
— Application forms—In 2005-06,
the publication of application forms for bursaries was delayed.
The result was inevitable delays in students receiving payments.
This year, NUS has heard reports that an instruction to send a
vital piece of information was omitted from the form. This resulted
in many initial applications being returned to the applicant.
— Leave of absence—Students taking
a leave of absence have reported particular delays as their details
are wiped from the system, therefore requiring them to reapply
once they return to university.
Dependants Allowance
7. The extra paperwork involved in claiming
this additional payment means that the delay in students getting
dependents allowance is often even worse than in getting an ordinary
bursary. It has been reported to NUS that there are often cases
where Dependants Allowance does not get paid or is suddenly stopped
without explanation, despite students fitting the eligibility
criteria.
Communication and Misinformation
8. These problems are being exacerbated
because students have not been able to get in touch with the Students
Grants Unit. Students are left on hold, phones remain unanswered,
and letters and emails receive no response. Routinely notification
letters advising students of their entitlement are not being received
until several weeks after the course has started.
9. When students have finally managed to
get through, misinformation is also a problem. Several students
have reported that the Students Grants Unit has misadvised them
about their entitlement to bursaries.
Impact on Recruitment to NHS
10. The delays in bursary payments have
meant that many students face severe financial difficulty. This
is causing students to consider discontinuing with their chosen
career within the medical sector.
11. Lack of money obviously has a detrimental
impact on all students, but it has a disproportionately large
impact on the high number of older women, many with children,
undertaking healthcare degrees.
12. It is notable that whilst the drop out
rate for full-time students throughout higher education is 14.4%,[29]
the rate is a considerably higher for nursing students at 24.8%.[30]
Whist NUS understands that this is not solely due to problems
in receiving funding, this must be a factor.
13. The high drop out rate clearly has a
significant implication for workforce planning in the NHS in terms
of recruitment from within the UK.
TUITION FEES
Background
14. The increase in tuition fees from September
2006 mean the NHS will now pay more than twice what it currently
pays to subsidise the private tuition fee contribution on behalf
of students—in most cases, it will be a rise from £1,200
to £3,000 per annum. As approximately 90,000 students receive
funding from the NHS, [31]this
represents an increase of £162 million per annum by 2009,
when all students will be on this new funding system.
The need for subsidies
15. NUS would emphasize that the NHS's subsidisation
of students' tuition fees has already led to an increase in application
rates to nursing and Allied Healthcare Professionals courses.
The organisations warns against ending this practice as it would
risk reducing the numbers applying and causing a long-term problem
with recruitment from within the UK.
Impact on Recruitment to NHS
16. This extra cost of tuition fees will
no doubt be difficult for the NHS to absorb. However, a higher
drop-out rate, caused and exacerbated by the problems with the
Student Grants Unit, will only succeed in wasting the many millions
of pounds that the NHS has already invested in these students.
RECOMMENDATIONS
17. The Department of Health needs to urgently
review the working of the Student Grants Unit, and ensure that
problems are ironed out before the next application round for
students going to university in September 2006. This is particularly
urgent as the budget is set to increase dramatically over the
coming years.
18. The NHS needs to budget for an increased
budget of approximately £162 million per annum in 2009 to
continue subsidizing the private tuition fee contribution on behalf
of healthcare students.
Karen Williams
National Union of Students
26 June 2006
29 BBC News, "University drop out rate rising",
22 September 2005. Back
30
Telegraph Online, "Millions lost as one student nurse in
four quits before the end of training", 15 February 2006. Back
31
House of Commons Hansard, 7 June 2006, Col 726W. Back
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