The Council have considered the remarks made at the Discussion on 19 October 2004 (Reporter, p. 126) of their Report, dated 9 August 2004, on the arrangements for University Composition Fees from 2006-07 (Reporter, 2003-04, p. 1064). The draft recommendations annexed to this signed Notice include the correction and clarification reported by the Administrative Secretary in the Discussion (to the title of the Director of OFFA, and to indicate that rate N, the fee charged to undergraduates on years abroad, should be half rate A).
The other remarks made in the Discussion were principally about assessing the proposed bursary scheme. The commitment of the University and the Colleges to widening and developing access, including developing a needs-based bursary scheme is not in doubt and has been widely recognized. Since the Discussion took place, the Council are pleased that further progress has been made on the details of the bursary scheme under the chairmanship of the Master of St Catharine's College, and that Mr Streeting, a speaker in the Discussion and a member of the Council, took part in this development work. Mr Streeting has indicated that he was encouraged by the progress being made and by the fact that the system would be related clearly to the needs of students.
It is obviously highly desirable that intending students should know at as early a stage as possible where they stand from the point of view of fees. The University also needs to be clear at an early stage, so that the details of the bursary scheme can be finalized, and for other purposes of University planning. The Council are therefore putting forward a Grace for the approval of the recommendations of the Report, amended to read as indicated below (Grace 1, p. 247).
| 29 November 2004 | ALISON RICHARD, Vice-Chancellor | DAVID S. INGRAM | JAMES MATHESON |
| R. J. ANDERSON | IAN LESLIE | MARTIN REES | |
| RICHARD BARNES | A. M. LONSDALE | G. A. REID | |
| JOHN BOYD | D. LOWTHER | LIBA TAUB | |
| WILLIAM BROWN | D. W. B. MACDONALD | JOAN M. WHITEHEAD | |
| DAVID GOOD |
Amended recommendation of the Council's Report:
That from 1 August 2006 the regulations for University Composition Fees (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 151) be amended as follows:
(1) Regulation 11.
By replacing the words 'Subject to the provisions of Regulation 12' by the words 'Subject to the provisions of Regulations 12 and 13'.
(2) By adding the following new Regulation 13:
13. With effect from 1 August 2006, the rate of University Composition Fees charged to students beginning courses on or after that date in categories A-C of the Schedule, shall be the amount determined by the Secretary of State as the higher amount under Part 3 of the Higher Education Act 2004, subject to the approval of the Director of Fair Access to Higher Education; failing which the basic amount determined under the Act; and that the rate for category N of the Schedule be half rate A.