An old monochrome picture postcard showing a grand entrance hall, all archways and fireplaces and staircases, with fancy brick and tile work. Printed on the card is Entrance Hall, the University of Liverpool

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @liverpooluni.bsky.social

This is one of a series of fundraising postcards produced in the 1920s, showing the campus as they hoped it would become

If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

Weekend courses turn into weekday consequences – with students left holding the bill Jim Dickinson unpacks the fallout from a DfE crackdown on weekend course misclassification – and finds students caught between forced repayment, forced delivery changes, and a system that is unlikely ...

this development has not really been picked up by mainstream media.
wonkhe.com/blogs/weeken...
Excellent overview by Jim.
I would add that this creates huge financial difficulties for at least 5 of the institutions affected. Franchising was doing most of the cross-subsidy work.

NEW on Wonkhe: Jim Dickinson unpacks the fallout from a DfE crackdown on weekend course misclassification – and finds students caught between forced repayment, forced delivery changes, and a system that is unlikely to accept blame buff.ly/Wd1hPso

Over A Dozen Universities Wrongly Spent £190m Of Taxpayers' Money On Student Loans A student loans mistake by universities has seen up to £190m of taxpayers’ money wrongly given to unaware students, PoliticsHome can reveal, leavin...

Over a dozen universities wrongly spent £190m of taxpayers' money on student loans, PolHome can reveal

Bridget Phillipson has accused the universities involved of “incompetence” and “abuse of public money”

Around 22k students are estimated to be affected, according to a DfE letter seen by PolHome

The “visa brake” details The Home Office has a new blunt instrument, and we should expect to see it used again in the future

ICYMI @michaelsalmon0.bsky.social really nails the utter pointlessness the rug being pulled out from international students simply by virtue of being from 4 countries. wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

Well worth reading, predictably

NEW on Wonkhe: Jim Dickinson considers what two new reports reveal about Wales' Diamond student reforms, and what they leave unanswered buff.ly/cQnMoIW

NEW on Wonkhe: The latest levy reforms see a further focus on younger apprentices. Michael Salmon hopes it works but would like to have seen an impact assessment buff.ly/Z6fyqhW

Can judicial review force OfS to regulate bible colleges? The National Secular Society is preparing to take the Office for Students to court over its failure to act on complaints about a dozen bible and theological colleges on the register – complaints it fi...

We're preparing to take the Office for Students to court over its failure to act on complaints about a dozen bible and theological colleges on the register - @wonkhe.bsky.social reports. wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

UK government R&D spending in real terms

For more than a decade, there’s been a cross-party consensus behind increasing the UK govt’s R&D spending to drive economic growth - & there’s been a substantial real terms increase in the science budget.
But the economic growth hasn’t arrived, yet. What happens if it doesn’t?

A very considered and in depth write up of our @taso.org.uk reports published and launched at our conference today. We need better support for those most at risk of poor wellbeing, students who as the write up concludes are being effectively reached

'Misleading' school talks compared student loans to £30 phone contracts Graduates hired to deliver the presentations a decade ago were told to avoid using words like

BBC News has found an interesting angle on the #StudentLoans debate, but… #nuance needed.

The talks were a fair idea, but failed for various reasons. Here's a story about my non-involvement in those talks... 🧵
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/20

The “visa brake” details The Home Office has a new blunt instrument, and we should expect to see it used again in the future

wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

Although much of this sub-sector is run through franchising, the business management in an office block model can also be done directly. The only university to get a ‘requires improvement’ in TEF now has the second highest UG numbers in England. It even uses the building that St Patrick’s did.

Immigration policy and higher education staff Michael Salmon explores why, whether technocratic or populist in character, UK immigration policy is set to continue its outsized role in the lives of international staff Michael Salmon explores why,...

Last week on Wonkhe: Michael Salmon explores why, whether technocratic or populist in character, UK immigration policy is set to continue its outsized role in the lives of international staff

An old colour picture postcard showing a striking image of a window set into a concrete wall, reflecting a colourful background; below is a sign reading "Houghon Street", an air conditioning unit with two vents that lookm like wide open eyes, and a litter bin

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of LSE

This was outside the old Three Tuns - the @lsesu.bsky.social bar - and the aircon unit does look like it has Seen Things

All gone now, because the concrete never sets on LSE

If you like this image, please repost it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

But if the government had stuck firm to what we might call the technocratic approach to work visas, then there would remain a clear opportunity to marshall evidence in favour of international recruitment (while at the same time thinking seriously about the role of the higher education system in training the UK’s scientific, social, technical and cultural workforce, which isn’t a bad side-effect). Instead, Labour has continued to gesture at this via increases to the cost of the visa system and employing overseas staff, while in other areas – particularly, but not only, in the routes to settlement consultation – it has given in to populist tendencies that have little to do with what’s best for the UK either as an economy or a society, and everything to do with its political anxieties and factional power struggles.

An excellent analysis of immigration and the UK HE system by @wonkhe.bsky.social

wonkhe.com/blogs/immigr...

NEW on Wonkhe: Michael Salmon explores why, whether technocratic or populist in character, UK immigration policy is set to continue its outsized role in the lives of international staff buff.ly/5ouoZaE

Nobody in government can see around the corner on student finance It’s not very often that student finance makes the main exchange during PMQs. And if we’re honest, it didn’t really make it today either.

Student loans at both PMQs and in Westminster Hall today. Miserable. And a surprise win for the Lib Dems.
wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

Pass your default content

Universities Scotland Director Claire McPherson spoke to @wonkhe.bsky.social's Policy Radar on all things Future Framework and Scottish elections yesterday. Subscribers will have the recording in their inbox or you can find out more online: wonkhe.com/subscription...

A great thread on the utter mess which successive governments have gotten themselves into over student loans.

The point about forgetting that student loans are a means to an end not an end in themselves is a classic example of the law that in complex systems admin inevitably becomes *the* business.

Westminster Hall debate on student loans. Lots of focus on the endlessly spiralling debt. But most interesting piece to me is MPs who are not noticeably different ages explaining their repayments are o very different loan systems. Wait a decade and that will be worse as Plan 5-ers enter Parliament.

Well worth a read

The institution in question being @ucl.ac.uk, which is 200 years old this week - Happy Birthday!

And it’s also my 200th @wonkhe.bsky.social #HigherEducationPostcard blog

This is one of the absolute best things I’ve read on the potential impacts of AI on society and democracy. Forensic, principled, and sober. Bravo, @williamcb.bsky.social!!

I’ve lived through every stage of the building of England’s fees and loans system — and as it has evolved, it has become something that is a good deal on paper, but feels unfair and is effectively inexplicable.

My first piece in my new role as Director of The Post 18 Project.

McFadden over-stated employer interest in jobs guarantee Work and pensions secretary backtracks on claim 60+ employers already 'committed' jobs for NEET young people

Oh dear. Last week DWP secretary of state McFadden claimed 60+ employers had "committed" to providing jobs for NEET young people through the flagship jobs guarantee scheme

Today we learned there was no "commitment" ... just an "interest"

feweek.co.uk/mcfadden-ove...

Extract from the assessment report

A major underlying concern in the original assessment report is the expansion in student numbers. Regent College had 4000 business students when the assessment was done. Greater Manchester just noted their partnership with Regent has now reached 10000 students.

A review of higher education funding is inevitable As John Blake is announced as the first Director of The Post-18 Project, he argues that politicians must not ignore the feelings running ever deeper about the student loans system.

post18.co.uk/a-review-of-...

I think the growth in MRes numbers might appear to be a good thing if they weren’t nearly all at four universities. Four universities that might not appear to have previously been particularly strong in PGR. And if the students hadn’t all come from very specific markets.

bsky.app/profile/mike...