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gair rhydd Monday November 22 2010 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 937
Students pay more Additional fees for certain University courses are revealed Ben Price News Editor A gair rhydd investigation into additional costs on certain courses has revealed that students can find themselves paying hundreds of pounds each year. The investigation primarily focused on courses in which fieldwork is seen as an essential part of the course. It included a study of the extra costs placed on students studying Architecture, Engineering and Earth and Ocean Sciences. Students on these courses were approached and asked about the fees they pay in addition to the standard tuition fees, which currently stands at £3,290. A third year Architecture student reported a compulsory week of study abroad at a cost of £300 in the final year. Trips to Copenhagen in the first year and Barcelona in the second year also come at a price for students. A spokesperson from the Welsh School of Architecture told gair rhydd: “The School places emphasis on the value of overseas study visits and fieldwork trips in providing opportunities to study world-class architecture and broaden cultural experiences. “The School is aware of the costs associated with these trips and does what it can to minimise the financial burden on students. It contributes to the travel and accommodation costs where possible and strives to keep costs low, for example, by arranging group bookings in low-budget hostels, which have selfcatering facilities.” Apart from the cost of fieldwork, it was also highlighted that students are expected to pay out for materials, which often cost over £100 per
project. A further £15 per week is also spent on paper and printing. The School will continue to monitor its study visit and fieldwork programmes and recognises that it may need to review these components of its courses “in the light of the increasing financial burden on students,” added the school’s spokesperson. A third year architecture student commented: “I think Architecture expects a lot of the individual in all regards. “For me cost ends up being the least stressful of these demands. But if you are really tight for cash there is literally no time for a job. One girl in my year has one and her work suffers for it.” The School of Earth & Ocean Sciences (EARTH) runs three and four year degree courses in Geology, Exploration & Resource Geology, Environmental Geoscience, Marine Geography, Marine Geoscience and Earth Sciences. A second year Marine Geographer explained how he was expected to pay £150 in additional costs over one year of study. He also stated that the cost increases between first year and the final year of study. He expects to pay around £200 in this final year for fieldtrips. Despite the fact some students recognise that £150 for a week of intensive field study abroad in countries such as Greece is a reasonable price to pay, it was suggested that the government’s proposal to increase tuition fees might intensify a debate on the issue of students having to pay additional fees at all. A spokesperson from the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences said: “Field courses range from local day trips, to time on the School’s
research vessel, to overseas venues currently as far afield as Greece, the Canaries or Cyprus. Whereas we utilise local resources as much as possible, 60 day-trips to Barry Island do not a good (or employable) geoscientist make. It is essential that we venture further afield as well. The overseas trips, to regions of global significance to the specific subject being studied, are the highlights of the degree programmes.” The students who study the Geology course also find themselves having to pay in excess of £100 for compulsory trips on an annual basis, with costs gradually rising each year. Even though EARTH covers as much of the cost of these trips as possible, students still find themselves paying around £120 per year for compulsory field trips from their second year onwards. An EARTH spokesperson responded to this situation, saying: “EARTH currently endeavours to meet 75% of the cost of a student’s trips. The amount requested of each student depends upon their degree scheme, so that all students get as similar a subsidy as possible: it currently varies from £60 to £285 per year, ranging up to £585 in total over three years for the most field-intensive, most expensive course” Questioned over whether the cost of field trips should be made clear on the University’s website for the benefit of prospective students, the School said: “Few universities publicise the figures they require students to pay, but our investigations suggest that Cardiff is at least comparable to most others, and considerably cheaper than many.”
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For the full story turn to Politics, page 14
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