Student preferences over fees, grants and loans

Summary

Undergraduate students in England are charged tuition fees and receive support for living costs primarily through a complex system of income-contingent loans. The Department for Education is conducting a Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, with a view to reforming this system for new undergraduates. We sampled a cohort of third-year Home undergraduates at one UK higher education institution to collect evidence on their understanding of the current system; what changes to the system they would favour; and what trade-offs they would be willing to accept if the system were to change in a fiscally neutral way.