There will be no fee discounts or cash back busaries available

In 2012 Roehampton University intends to charge fees across three bands. Students on most honours degree programmes will pay £7,900. For those studying on programmes that have higher costs or specialist provision, the charge will be £8,250. For students studying at Foundation Degree level the fee will be £7,500.

With two of its departments - biological anthropology and dance - rated the best in the country in the 2008 RAE, Roehampton University continues to attract quality students to its stunning London campus. The University, with its state-of-the-art facilities and teaching enriched by cutting-edge research, is popular with students and performs strongly in terms of retention and employability.

The University is proud to have a very diverse student population: 96% from state schools, 40% from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, 35% from the lowest socio-economic groups, and over half with a family income less than £25k. It believes that such diversity is a key strength in preparing graduates for success in today’s world.

The University has listened carefully to the views of over 2,000 students, prospective students and their parents, and concluded that the best way to continue its success in widening participation is to focus on keeping fee levels (and debt) as low as possible. The University is also committed to a fee structure that is fair, transparent and easily understood.

Roehampton has set its fees at a level that ensures sustainability in an increasingly uncertain environment. The University is expecting to lose over 95% of its HEFCE teaching funding by 2014 and almost all its capital funding, which means that in future it will be almost totally reliant on tuition fees. At the same time it is taking significant steps to reduce administration and other costs by 15%.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul O’Prey said he was aware of a fear of debt felt by prospective students and because of this the University is taking a different approach to that adopted by many others. He said:
“98% of the tuition fee paid by a student at Roehampton will be spent directly on his or her education – this is probably the highest proportion in the country. Roehampton is in the fortunate position of having a very diverse student body and  very good rates of retention. We are therefore seeking agreement from OFFA to commit the lowest level of spend allowed under the scheme. Put simply, we will get to keep 10% or more of the fees we charge, compared to a university with low diversity or poor retention”.

The University will not be offering fee discounts or ‘cash-back’ bursaries to attract applicants. The sector’s experience to date (backed up by current market research) shows that pre-entry bursaries and scholarships are not a key factor driving student choice. The Vice-Chancellor added:
“In a university where the majority of students come from relatively modest backgrounds, most will prefer to know that what they are paying is being spent directly on teaching and learning”.